


Love Out of Time

by Angelprincess01



Category: Samurai Jack (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Smut, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Jack's sword is semi-sentient, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-19
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-09-25 14:42:17
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 23
Words: 72,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9825002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Angelprincess01/pseuds/Angelprincess01
Summary: Aku has thrown every kind of assassin he's got at Samurai Jack and all of them failed. So the only logical conclusion would be to send a non-assassin to do his dirty business. Enter Rue Arkham; shy, clumsy and better suited filing archives than ever setting a foot outside. Needless to say, Aku's plan works about as well as you'd expect.





	1. The Would-Be Assassin

|Gathering room|

The room was stuffy and crowded to the brim with women of every age and stature. Rue glanced around her, never moving from her assigned spot. Next to her was a woman who barely reached Rue's stomach, with long white hair that shone in the candlelight. In front of her a woman of clear Siren heritage laughed, sounding as if a thousand bells were softly jingling in a spring breeze. A group of three women, two stocky ones and one with long, willowy limbs, walked to the front of the large hall. Their skin, dark as summer night, reflected the candle light in bronzed tones. Rue did a rough count and arrived at perhaps a hundred thousand women, while their handlers, officers and caretakers stood at the sidelines.

Her gaze drew back to the front, where an empty throne waited for its occupant. Judging from their build and posture, the women in the front were from the warrior tribes, their eyes constantly flitting back and forth, checking the room for possible threats. Behind them stood women as lovely as any daydream, dressed in wispy silks or elegantly draped satin, barely opening their eyes as they languidly exchanged gossip.  
Rue looked down at her ink stained hands, the dark woolen sleeves that covered her wrists. The women around her wore the same unassuming attire, their behavior indicating they didn't expect to be really needed here. Master Aku had a plan, and had commanded the presence of scores of them, of every walk of life. She wondered what he wanted.

The candles extinguished in a sudden whoosh. A few of the women in the middle yelped, as did most of the women in the back. Rue had been too caught up in examining others to react in such a way. Before anything else happened all the women who had reacted were escorted out of the room. The few who tried to resist - curiosity or misplaced pride, who knew - would find themselves heavily bruised in the morning. When they came to their senses they would be grateful that was all that had happened.

One moment there was nothing, the next one there was Aku. Rue drew a shuddering breath as she fell to the floor in supplicance, but that was all she did. She'd been expecting a bigger shock this time and she hadn't been disappointed. Some of the warrior women in the front had reached for their weapons when Aku appeared, an instinct from a life of training. Aku commended that instinct as the women came back to their feet. Then he commanded their death for not controlling it in regard to him. The reaction of the rows further to the back varied from frightened yelps to fainting. Rue barely managed to catch the woman in front of her before her head hit the floor. Other shocks followed, tentacles sprouting from the floor, lights flickering on and off, a robot contingent drumming into the room. Rue didn't know what managed to keep her quiet, how she kept her cool. Curiosity, probably. As one of the clerks, curiosity was a big asset. And the things she read in the reports had a way of dulling her sense of horrible. The words, the ideas she'd read, commands from Aku she had forwarded to others, those were scary. This was merely a light show. If she could find out why though, she could inform the others. Their entire purpose was knowing why.

As the afternoon continued their numbers dwindled. It was the first time she saw blood spilled so freely. Oh, she had received a few backhands herself from her supervisors but nothing like this. Aku seemed bored with the performance, resting his head on a hand while he observed something in the small television next to him. Whatever that was, it was important. Questions came next, and their answers determined their further fates. Soon Rue found herself as one of the last hundred in the room, gathered in front of Aku's throne. Their little square seemed even smaller in the immense space, the heat emanating from their powerful ruler almost raising blisters on their skin. Only two of the courtesans had remained, and to her surprise it was those who were most like her that formed the majority. Scholars, clerics, mechanics and practical people. In the end, the warrior women had had their instincts against them.

"So…" Aku looked at them as if only now realized they were in the same space as he was. "You are the ones most fitting for my next task."

It wasn't a question. No, he was merely stating a fact, and clearly he expected them to know it to be true as well. They dropped to the floor, kneeling with their foreheads pressed against the relieving cool of the tiles. Next to Rue's face was a coagulating puddle of blood. She ignored it as best as she could.

"Stand up. How am I supposed to make a choice if I can't see your damned faces?"

They stood and from the one glance she managed to throw across the room it was clear nobody understood. They were never allowed to stand in the direct presence of the master. They stood, silently. Aku regarded them, eyes slowly moving from one woman to the other. Sometimes he would make a movement with a claw, nigh visible. The motion would cause the woman he'd currently viewed to be taken away, most of them through the same door she'd entered by. Three of them were guided through a door that lead to more private quarters.

When Aku finally came to her she stood a bit straighter, a drop of sweat beading at her temple and slowly falling down. Aku raised his eyebrows. She swallowed, but kept looking at him. Just then she realized that if she wanted to get away, perhaps she should look at the ground. All those who had done so had been sent away. In the split second before she could act on that, Aku watched the woman next to her. He did not move his claw.

Rue did not know how long they stood in the near dark. The only light in the room came from the flames flickering around Aku's throne, drawing red streaks across the floor. Her back ached, her feet cried out for relief even in her sturdy shoes. Perhaps if she moved to relieve that ache, she would be sent away? Or perhaps Aku would be displeased and order her execution. He was fickle, their Master. Grave transgressions were always met with grave punishment, but smaller ones could be dealt with in the same way. Who could say what mood he was in today?

After what felt like a century he finished his examination of the last one. From the corner of her eye, Rue judged there were perhaps twenty of them left.

"Well then… which one of you shall do me the honor of killing the Samurai?"

Her breath stocked at the name. She could have known. Master Aku was nothing if not intent on killing the Samurai once and for all. But what did he hope they could accomplish? Aku continued talking. "None of you are the best at anything. None of you are skilled fighters or remarkable beauties. In every aspect of life you are merely passable. This is what I have been looking for."

So being unremarkable was what had made them stand out?

"The fool expects a beautiful damsel in distress. He expects skilled assassins. You are neither."

Well, he did have a point there. She broke out in cold sweat when Aku laid eyes on her at last. "You."

Rue fell to the floor, knees in a pool of coagulated blood. Anything to escape that horrible gaze. Around her the women were cleared from the room, footsteps shuffling out of the way. Aku spoke to her, languid, snapping his fingers to turn on a television. The sound prompted her to look up.

The Samurai slashed his way through an army of robots, striking them down with a smooth and almost relaxed style. Rue swallowed when she realized what they were pitting her against.

"You will not face him on the battlefield."

She nodded, careful to keep her expression neutral. A private audience with their great ruler seldom ended in bliss and glory. Blisters and gore was a far more likely option. At least he didn't order her to charge the Samurai head on. In that case he might as well have slit her throat himself and save her the trouble of traveling.

"You'll be supplied with poison. You are not brave, but cautious enough to survive. Keep your nerves in check and there is a chance you will appear victoriously. If not…" Aku snapped his fingers, and her mother appeared in a cloud of flames. The woman coughed violently, but didn't cower from Aku. Instead she bowed towards the Master of all evil, hands clasped in front of her.

"My girl will do what she has to, my Master. She knows where her duty lies."

Of course Rue knew. Her mother reminded her every single day they had to pay their overlord a blood debt. Even their lives were to be sacrificed gleefully. Aku had saved her entire race ,ordering them to interbreed with the indigenous population of this planet. Little separated them from the humans now, except for a greater tolerance of physical and mental stress. But they were also more susceptible to certain illnesses, as her mother proved.

Aku looked at her, really looked, before returning to face the monitors. Rue followed, seeing the Samurai as he walked, alone, to his next destination. She saw his sword and silent determination. Her mother walked towards her, squeezed her arm. The woman knew she was to be collateral and didn't mind. Rue swallowed.

"I know. We always repay our debts."

|Ocean Village, Two months later|

She arrived at a medium-sized town, stomach upset thanks to a rough travel overseas. Aku had waged a war against certain species that dwelled underwater, much upsetting regular trade routes and forcing passenger ships to take… exotic routes. Reports had said the Samurai was headed this way, but that was before she'd left the capital. His ship could have arrived weeks before hers, or weeks after hers. Thanks to the weather she had no way of knowing. Her only hope was making contact with one of the settlements where Master Aku had men stationed who could help her find the track again.

She awkwardly picked her way through the crowd. She hadn't really ever expected to miss her job, but being around this many people was highly discomforting. With zero experience in navigating a crowd it was more pure luck than an ounce of skill that kept her from knocking over several stalls. She stopped at one stall that sold what looked like baby squid on a stick to ask for directions. "Do you know of any traders leaving for Middleport soon?"

"No, no traders going that way. That's bandit country. Pretty little thing like you is gonna get her self killed."

"It's very important that I get there," she insisted. Master Aku wasn't the most patient of instructors, and odds were he was observing her right now, if he could tear his gaze away from the Samurai for a few minutes. If he caught her not giving her best… "I can pay."

"No, nobody is going there. And if you go, you'll get killed."

"But-"

"I said no. Now are you buying squid or not?"

Rue sighed dejectedly. "No, thank you. I'm not very hungry." Anything she ate now was liable to end up splattered on the ground within minutes. She still felt like she was walking on the ship deck. Queasy didn't come close to describing her current mood.

"Excuse me, ma'am."

The gentle voice came just when Rue had turned around. A large, bulking robot was just behind her, and she teetered on the tips of her toes before turning back to the person who had spoken. Sadly the shift in balance was too much for her to counteract, leading to her tripping over her own feet. Half-turning she got snagged, arms flailing as she felt gravity take its toll.  
Strong, warm hands grabbed her before she hit the dirt. The robot wandered away without ever realizing what had happened to Rue. The watery sun was blocked out by a man, who she recognized as the one who had addressed her earlier thanks to his gentle inquiry.

"Are you hurt?"

She couldn't see his face with the light coming from behind, so she just nodded, still coping with the fact she hadn't fallen down too badly. Strong arms kept her inches away from the ground. In her panic she had grabbed at one of his sleeves. She mumbled a thank you, not used to this much human contact in one day. In the archives the most human interaction expected of her was signing delivery papers or yelling at outdated robots. When he put her back on her feet she finally got a look at his face. It felt like being hit against the head with a hammer.

"You're… him. I mean… you're…" normally she could be quite eloquent, thanks to her work with letters and books. But right now the sheer dumb luck of it all perplexed her too much, along with actually having a live conversation partner. That and usually she was her own conversation partner. Dumbstruck she pointed to one of the wanted posters.

The man smiled, looking away from the posters as if he were embarrassed about them. "Yes, my reputation often precedes me. And forgive my straightforwardness, but did I hear you wanted to go to Middleport, ma'am?"

"Miss," she corrected automatically. His eyes weren't quite as malicious as the posters had made it seem, and his mouth didn't have that downward crease either. But the square jaw and haircut left no doubt about who it was. "Miss Rue Arkham, first-" she caught herself before giving her rank at Aku's fort. "First of that name,' she finished feebly, grasping for something that would be somewhat logical to say.

"Miss Arkham," the samurai bowed to her from his waist, very much unlike how she would bow for Aku. When he raised his head it was with a sad half-smile. "The people of this land have taken to calling me Jack. Samurai Jack."

"Nice to meet you," she replied, her brain falling back on social courtesies to save her from spilling out all of Aku's plans. "I… yes. I wanted to go there, but there are no trade caravans. I don't have much choice though. It's imperative I go." _Because I wanted to ask where you were located,_ she thought. Was she dreaming? Did she bang her head against the wooden boards of the leaky sieve they'd called a boat one too many times?

Jack nodded and gestured to the side, indicating they might move away from the cart where an unhappy saleswoman watched them obstruct her business. "So I understood. But it is dangerous for a lady to travel these lands alone. Since I am going that way as well, perhaps you would kindly allow me to accompany you?"

The cogs in her brain were slowly starting to fall apart. The Samurai wanted to escort her? What kind of witchcraft was this? At her obvious grasping for a somewhat logical answer Jack continued to talk, giving her a chance to get her bearings.

"I realize my request may seem improper to you, but it is dangerous for travelers to go alone. If we were to travel together, I am certain the road would pass far quicker." His slight accent suited him, she thought. Just like the way he dressed it marked him for a man out of time. And his impeccable manners did allow her a way to get close to him. How could he suspect her, when he was the one offering they travel together?

"I… yes, of course you are right. Thank you for this kind offer. But you're sure that would be alright for you? I wouldn't want to be a burden." Mentally she kicked herself. _Oh, do give the man a chance to change his mind, why don't you Rue? You're not looking a gift horse in the mouth, you're practically dragging it to the dentist at this rate._ She'd gone over the technical details of her mission often enough, deciding long ago that poison was indeed the way to go for her. But now she was face to face with him and he seemed so… not technical. He had gone from a poster on the wall to an actual living being in front of her.

He assured her it was alright, as long as she permit him to buy some supplies. She nodded and they agreed to meet up at the north gates in an hour. When he was gone, Rue rushed into an alley, taking deep breaths. She was in way over her head. But she had to, there was no other option. Every single one of her race owed Master Aku a blood debt, and the only way to repay it was life long service. But if she did this… she'd be the first to ever be debtless. Her mother, her friends, everyone around her knew it was important to repay debts owed. If Master Aku wanted this, he would have it.

That didn't stop her from being all tongue-tied when she realized she would have to talk to the Samurai first. What did people talk about with someone they intended to kill? The weather? Sure was dark and cloudy again, all praise Master Aku. Politics? I heard Master Aku strung someone up by their toes because they suggested pineapple was a lousy pizza topping, they shoulda known better, huh?

She stopped dead in her tracks when she thought about something her mother had asked her once. "How long since you even talked to a man?"  
Maybe that was the problem. Because there was no question that the Samurai was male. And not in the way her fellow clerics were male, tall, lanky and kind of spacey. Her co-workers felt like letters on parchment to her, soft and brittle. Those weren't words she'd tie to the Samurai any day soon. He'd seemed… not massive, but solid. Yes, solid was the word.

As she shopped, she was acutely aware of her own body. The ocean water had long scrubbed her skin clean of any ink stains, but no callus had formed on her hands. Her body wasn't in a condition to survive long treks across mountains and if someone were to attack her now, she'd have to rely on someone else to step in. She was a lamb sent to kill a lion. Which was the reason they had selected her and the other candidates. The selection process had been long, but the main factor had been that none of them had the 'killer intent'. Nobody would ever expect her to kill someone. She fiddled with the locket around her neck, aware of the poison powder hidden in it. She had to go through with this. She'd just have to find her killer intent along the way.


	2. Travel Companion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack observes Rue, while the latter shows she is not cut out for survival in any way.
> 
> Thank you for the kudos so far <3 If you have any remarks - or requests for something you'd like to see happen in the fic - feel free to let me know. Have a nice day!

|Jack|

He hadn’t really planned on picking up a travel companion in these parts. No, he hadn’t planned on picking up a companion in any part of this world, though his few friends - the Scotsman, for one - could pop up in unexpected places. But the woman - miss Arkham - had seemed so out of place it was almost painful. He’d first seen her when coming out of the inn where he had spent a few nights getting his bearings. He’d seen her attempt to ask directions several times but she’d been too quiet. People had walked by her before she’d gotten a chance to speak louder. A cutpurse had nearly stolen the pouch at her belt before Jack had gently changed his mind about that. After that he had lost sight at her, until he walked past the stand where she was once more asking directions. After hearing her destination, Jack almost had no choice but to offer his company. Letting her go alone was akin to letting her walk to her death.

He searched for a woman with long, light brown hair at the gates. Her clothing was practical, clean and easy to spot. The blouse was a light ivory, while her light blue pants were loose and gathered at the bottom. A small pouch hung from her belt while a small backpack hung from her shoulders. She held another bag in her hands. Judging from the bulge it was filled to the brim with groceries.

Her eyes, a strange light blue, almost amethyst, settled on him. She seemed shocked to see him, attempted a smile and then a slight frown. It was obvious his presence got her pretty much tongue-tied. A faint red color spread from her collar bones all the way to her ears. “…hi.”

“Miss Arkham,” he greeted her with a smile. He guessed from her general behavior she wasn’t used to being alone with a man. After a few inquiries he eventually guided her outside of the city gates. The road in front of them seemed pleasant enough, broad and lined with large trees that could have been willows if it hadn’t been for their deep blue color. He kept a light hand on his katana as they walked, though he expected no attack so soon outside the gates. Those were usually reserved for those moments when travelers had been at ease for so long they started to relax.

He paid less attention to his traveling companion than to his surroundings but he did notice that she was observing him closely. Eventually he turned to her, careful not to seem intimidating. She was nervous enough as it was, he did not have to give her a reason for it. He gestured to the bag in her hands. “May I be of assistance?”

“Oh… it’s… it’s quite heavy,” she replied, looking down at her hands.

“It does seem like that, yes. If you’d like, I can carry it for a while,” He saw her gaze go to the hand not resting on his blade, where he was holding his own supplies. “Please, don’t worry. I wouldn’t offer if I could not handle it.”

She looked away for a moment, one of her hands slipping to the necklace around her neck. Eventually she handed over the bag, muttering a thank you. With her hands empty, she slipped one arm around her own waist, looking around. For a moment he thought she was investigating their surroundings for threats, but the way she smiled soon betrayed she was just sightseeing.

A while later she was the one who spoke first. “Have you ever been here before?”

“No. I heard there was a sort of portal close to here that might lead me back home. This is the first time I visit these regions.”

She nodded. “The portal near Middleport is considered highly potent in magical power, but there seem to be several magic wards guarding it. It would take a highly skilled and intelligent warrior to even break the first layer, characterized by the crystal Unia surrounding it. After that there’s-”

She stopped talking at once, looking as if she wanted to swallow her own tongue. Jack was impressed by her knowledge, but wondered where she had learned such a thing. “Excuse me, but if you’ve never been here before, how do you know such a thing?”

“… my job. I have to know these things, since I’m an administrative employee. My main field was battle reports and mapping in the Alpha Z hemisphere, but magical artifacts were a subdivision in my department. I have a pretty good memory.”

“I have never met someone in an administrative capacity before. My travels mostly keep me tied to the areas that are less civilized. Do you know much about the wards guarding the portal?” Jack inquired, interested in learning more about his next destination. There was also the added benefit that this subject seemed to leave her less likely to faint due to his presence.

Miss Arkham nodded, before gesturing to the blue willow-like trees that surrounded them. “Well, like I mentioned, there are crystal Unia surrounded the first of three layers… the Unia are the trees, by the way,” she added shyly, when he glanced at the trees doubtingly. “It’s thought that the magic leakage of the wards is what caused them to turn crystal. According to the files most warriors who attempt to pass them are stopped.”

“Oh? What is so special about them then?”

“… it’s said they are food to a great beast with a quick temper. Because breaking the first layer asks for the tree sap of a Unia, it attacks whomever attempts to break through.”

Now this was highly interesting. Jack smiled, feeling as if this was a first ray of sunshine to have finally come into his life again after too many failures. “Miss Arkham, I believe having run into you was a very lucky thing.”

|Rue|

Oh, she wished he wouldn’t smile at her like that. It made him look far younger and more innocent than she liked. She couldn’t poison someone who looked at her like that, all innocent charm! At once she averted her look from him, wishing she could just sink into the ground. The only thing that kept her from attempting to run away was her almost dead certainty that Master Aku would at one point or other tune into his favorite Samurai channel and see her there. The only thing better than her being at the Samurai’s side was her slipping some powder in his tea. The one thing that would get her skinned alive was running away now. When she realized it had been quiet for too long she quickly mumbled something about it being a pleasure to meet him. “I’m sorry. I don’t get out much. Usually I’m stuck behind a desk filing paperwork.”

“I could never imagine that kind of life. It must be very peaceful,” he commented again, pleasantly. He made it seem very easy to carry on a conversation with little words.

“Oh yes, probably far more peaceful than your life… if that’s not rude to say,” Rue added quickly. Though she probably read about bloodshed more than he could imagine. Master Aku’s ventures took him far and wide, but one thing usually never changed. There was always someone getting killed, or maimed or thrown into the dungeons.

“I cannot recall a day where I was able to simply be at peace,” he agreed with her, before stopping in the middle of the road. “Wait!”

Rue froze where she stood while Jack placed the groceries on the ground, ready to draw his sword. Something rustled in the bushes, flitting back and forth quickly. She followed the movement, licking her lips. Her hands clenched around the locket dangling from her neck, her only weapon. When a flash of dark brown jumped out of the bushes she shrieked and fell to the ground.

It was quiet for a few seconds, apart from the light thump on the ground. Then she heard a chuckle and raised her head. In front of her, Jack had stood up straight, leaning forward to pick up the grocery bag. Following his gaze she noted a cat sitting in the middle of the road. With a forked tongue it licked its paw, hardly deigning them worthy of its attention.

“It is nothing to fear, miss Arkham. Just an innocent cat,” Jack assured her.

The feline looked up at her, amber eyes glinting in the sparse sunlight. When she caught a glance of the sharp canines she shuddered. Yeah… that sure looked innocent to her.

|That Evening|

When night fell, Rue felt less secure than ever. Was it very hypocritical of her to feel safer in the presence of her intended victim? Jack was the one who managed to start a fire and catch a fish for dinner. She’d exclaimed in wonder when she saw the dark blue purple scales and the bright red eyes. She begged him to allow her to make a sketch before they ate it. As she sketched he went to work to catching a few more, though none of the new catches were as magnificent as the first fish. The scales were slimy to the touch and Rue was very aware that she was touching a dead thing. But she believed it to be a rare mutation of a previously extinct species and thus worthy of being catalogued. When she finished her sketch she dated it and added their location. Her people would add the information to their library, perhaps send out a few robots to research.

“That is very well drawn!” the Samurai exclaimed.

It was only then she noted he had been observing over her shoulder. Immediately she closed her notebook, shaking her head. “No, all of my… everyone I know can do this. We have to, you know.”

“May I?” The Samurai asked her, holding out his hand. Rue doubted, mentally checking if she had left any incriminating evidence in the booklet. When she was certain it was safe, she handed it over before turning to the fire.

The scent of roast fish and boiling vegetables filled the air, and for the first time since getting of the boat she felt hungry. Next to her the Samurai hummed his appreciation of her sketches. Rue glanced at him, trying to be subtle about it. The firelight danced across his cheekbones, painting shadows and bright red in alternation over his countenance. Now he did indeed look dangerous, like a demon from another time and place. But his pose was relaxed, the sword her Master hated so much without a hand to cover it. For a moment she glanced towards the boiling vegetables. She could… could she? He would see her, probably, if she attempted to add a bit of powder to the mixture now. Perhaps later would be better, tomorrow or the day after. If her nerves would hold for so long.

As they ate, they exchanged a few glances. She remembered reading the report about how Master Aku had once deceived the Samurai by posing as a woman. Though their environment now was a far cry from the desert, he probably did not fully trust her because of his earlier experience. She did not blame him. As they cleared the remnants of their meal he yawned.

“I… I could keep first watch,” she offered, feeling too nervous to be sleepy.

He seemed surprised by her offer, but eventually nodded. “If you would be so kind. Please wake me when you feel the need to sleep however.”

Rue nodded once, and watched as the Samurai settled against the tree. The fire crackled softly as she added a few more twigs to it, keeping it just above a slight glowing ember. The breathing of her companion slowed, until he seemed to be sunken into his sleep. Finally she had to chance to study him at her own leisure, without fearing he would become suspicious of such scrutiny.  
His broad chest gently rose and fell as he breathed. His legs were muscular, drawn up in a cross-legged position. His narrow eyes and thick eyebrows were relaxed for the moment, but still gave the impression he could at any moment jerk awake and attack any sensed threat. Her eyes landed on the satchel next to him. It contained a small tin, which her Master had told her contained his tea. She had no idea what tea was, other than it had been assured to her it would provide her with the best opportunity to strike.

Something rustled in the bushes near them. With a start she jerked upright, eyes trained to detect any movement. “… kitty?” she whispered. She hadn’t liked the look of that cat. It had reminded her of a predator she had once seen in a book. The problem was that this world was filled with dangerous creatures, so even if it was intent on attacking, she would probably be unable to guess which creature it was.

First method of analysis : robot or organic? Answering this question would allow her to exclude an entire class of creatures. She listened carefully for distinctive metallic steps, or rusty breathing. Only rustling met her ears.

“… mister Samurai?” she said slightly louder, hoping not to startle the creature sneaking up on them. There was a chance it would kill the Samurai, but she didn’t fancy the chance of getting killed herself.

Just when she was about to stand up, something in the woods snarled. At the same instant burning embers were scattered in the air, eliciting a deep growl. The light blinded her, and she only saw a vague shape bounding over them. Rue fell back in reflex. It landed heavily in the dark and ran away with wet, heaving panting.

“Are you alright?” the Samurai asked her. A warm hand touched her shoulder.

Shaking she nodded. “Is it… always like this?”

He looked in the direction the creature had escaped. “Actually I find today to be rather calm.”

|Jack|

When he woke miss Arkham the next morning she seemed to be poorly rested. Bags under her eyes in combination with her disheveled hair suggested she would never be an outdoors type of woman. Whomever her employer was, sending a woman so ill-suited to this environment was a poor decision. She mumbled something that could have been good morning or a curse. With a big yawn she then attempted to stretch out, hands disturbing the dirt underneath her. With a thud she lost her balance again, sprawled on her stomach.

The little reservation he had had concerning his traveling companion faded with every minute he observed her. Her sleep had been fitful, but he had blamed her inexperience of that. Her general awkwardness and inability to look at him without at least the hint of a blush was enough to indicate she was, if not innocent, then very much inexperienced. A civilian, not an assassin. He had yet to meet an assassin so unsteady on her feet. Every woman he had had to fear in the past had been exceedingly well-versed in some sort of combat. Miss Arkham looked as if she would be unable to differentiate the cutting edge of his katana from the handle.

“Breakfast?” he offered her, showing the remainders of the cold fish.

She nodded, holding out her hand. She yawned so wide he could see her back teeth, before taking a bite of fish. He had already had a cup of tea at his leisure, waiting for the sun to fully rise before waking miss Arkham.

“Mhanks…” she said, before reaching for her traveling pouch. Daintily she pulled out a kerchief to wipe her fingers. Playing with her locket she looked at him, almost coyly. “Any idea how long it is to our destination?”

He glanced around them, estimating the distance and their average walking speed. “Perhaps three days. Four, if we take our time.”

Miss Arkham nodded, standing up and dusting her clothes. “Well then, we had better get going. Please lead the way.”

So the first and second day passed pleasantly enough. Jack could not remember ever spending the time so peacefully with a traveling companion. The Scotsman preferred to play his hellish music while walking, if he didn’t boast loudly about his capabilities or wife. Bounty hunters that sometimes shared his path were taciturn or downright rude, often turning on him before they reached their destination.  
Miss Arkham was none of these things. She stepped neatly next to him, sometimes a step before or after him. A few times she would run ahead so she could sketch an interesting phenomenon. And though she still became tongue-tied and flustered when he tried to engage her in a serious conversation, she often answered him unconsciously when he talked to her while she sketched.

From the corner of his eye he caught the movement of her blouse as she abruptly halted, bending forward to pick up something from the road. With her pencil she picked up a dull green bug, depositing it on her sketch book.

“What is that?” he inquired.

“The Green Roniu, a subspecies of the Jeweled Roniu. I’ve never even seen a vague sketch of this one before. Luckily we’re outside its mating season.”

“Why is that?”

She looked up at him, all big eyes and innocent pout. “In the mating season they excrete a deadly acid that eats through anything they come into contact with. Which is mainly the reason people dislike researching them.”

Well, that did explain a few things. At least she could sketch the small beetle while they walked. Her usual clumsiness gave way to an awkward gait when she was deeply concentrated. There was still a high chance she would trip and fall over her own feet, but it was remarkably less than when she was paying actual attention to what she was doing. Jack felt almost completely sure that she posed no danger to him. For a while he allowed himself the simple pleasure of observing an attractive woman.

“Did you hear that?” Rue asked, looking up in surprise. The moment she looked up from her sketchbook her feet tangled in one another. Before she could stumble to the ground, Jack grabbed her by the scruff of her shirt. The fabric protested, but did not rip. Instead she found her footing rather quickly, scrambling to stand on her own two feet. But even in her panic, her gaze remained trained in one particular direction.

“Did you hear something?” he wondered, looking in the same direction she saw.

She nodded, clasping the notebook to her chest. “That sound… can’t you hear it? As if a thousand crystal bells are tingling.”

He strained to hear a possible sound, but could not detect one. Just as he was about to dismiss her statement as a flight of fancy the wind shifted. Crystal bells indeed. “Are those the Unia trees?”

Mutely she nodded. Jack felt torn for a moment. He could escort her to the town they had been headed towards. Yes, that would be safest. And he could be fairly certain that nobody would break through the barrier in the two days of travel back and forth. No, escorting miss Arkham to her final destination would be the most gentlemanly way of approaching matters. But when he offered her, she refused.

“It’s not that I don’t have to get to town. But… if it’s not too strange to say to you… I would like to see the crystal Unia. And the temple at the center of the magical barriers. No mortal has laid eyes on it ever since its construction all those centuries ago.” Miss Arkham was all polite fluttering of eyelashes and shy smiles. Judging from the way she thumbed her notebook, Jack could guess that she in fact wanted to take a few sketches. It wasn’t that he begrudged her that but…

“Miss Arkham, you have been a delightful traveling companion. But the truth is that remaining with me will only expose you to danger. Aku will stop at nothing to destroy me. If you are to get caught up in a battle between me and his minions, you could very well die.”

She straightened, her thick hair tumbling down her shoulders as she drew herself up to her full height. Amused he noted she reached a little above his chin if she did so. “Samurai Jack, how dare you sell yourself short so badly? I for one have the utmost confidence in a man who has survived so long in a hostile world. Other than that, there is a good chance we will not encounter any trouble at all. And… my most important skill to note, I am extremely well-versed in all manner of lore, legend and myth. I would be very happy to lend you my aid should you require it, as long as I am allowed to stay near your side for the remainder of this journey.”  
Suddenly she seemed to be aware of exactly what she was saying. She had become red, a creeping glow that had curled around her neck and shoulders. “I mean… uhm… if you don’t mind terribly. It might be nicer for you as well?”

He wanted to refuse her. No matter from what angle he considered it, escorting her to town was the good thing to do. But then she looked up at him with big eyes, that seemed to have been made specifically to melt a man where he stood. For once he was tongue-tied, because there was a sudden jolt in his heart that seemed to spread to all his extremities. It would certainly be more pleasant for him. Miss Arkham was gentle, well-mannered and considerate. With some gentle tutelage she might even become slightly more adapted to traveling. And he appreciated being near a creature that was both intelligent and had no intention of harming him. But the danger to her still compelled him.  
“I-”

“Please. I implore you to not send me away just now.”

“It is dangerous.”

“Being alive in these times is dangerous.”

“I cannot guarantee your safety.”

“I’m not asking you to.”

“Miss Arkham-”

“Sir Samurai, please.”

He sighed before he nodded. “Very well. If you insist you are welcome to join me.” He could have put up a bigger fight, certainly. But it would be a long time before he would once again travel with someone not intent on killing him, so he might as well enjoy the experience while it lasted.


	3. The Future is Optional

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack and Rue make their way to a magic mirror who tells them about the future. Basically this is me setting up the plot for the final time before we move on to getting to know one another and liking each other and... you've read fics, you know where this is going.
> 
> Thanks for the kudos and comments everyone <3

|Rue|

She had feared he would have insisted on sending her away. These days of traipsing through the woods had convinced her that she was not a creature made for camping. If she had been forced to follow him in secret, he would have spied her out in a matter of seconds. Better to remain by his side, hiding right underneath his nose. Her heart still hammered from speaking so fiercely. She was used to robots beeping uncomprehending when she flew into a speech, not someone who actually considered her words. But the Samurai had listened, his dark brown eyes seeming to savor every word she spoke. Perhaps that was the scariest thing about him, his total, rapt attention whenever she spoke.

And she had to admit, it had his merits to have someone who wanted to protect her. For the first time in her life, someone was taking care to make sure no harm would befall her. This went beyond covering up inconvenient blood spots in the hallway, which until this point had seemed the height of charm. Not now.

Jack battled a horse, two meters high with manes that glittered like the crystal trees that fed it. The dual horns on its forehead were used to charge after Jack, who deflected every stab but who saw no chance to attack on his own.

She leaned from behind the crystal tree to shout at him. "You need to sap of the crystal trees to pierce the barrier. Use the horns to slice through the bark."

When the horse paused to look at her she immediately ducked away. The last thing she needed was to get impaled on those horns. Her heart thundered in her chest as she merely listened to the sounds behind her. Watching the fight was far too much excitement for her. Behind her hooves trampled crystal leaves, the sounds snapping like bones. At her feet were the remains of someone who had once attempted to pass through here, two holes dominating a now rusty chest piece. Her breaths came in rapid, short puffs as she closed her eyes, hoping this would end soon.

The tree she was standing behind suddenly shook violently. The small, blue leaves dropped to the ground, shattering where they hit rock or rusted metal. The bottom of her blue pants was shredded to bits, thin cuts spreading across her ankles. Blood seeped from a few, but apart from a fierce stinging it wasn't so bad. "Mister Samurai?" she asked, watching behind the tree.

He was carefully gathering the tree sap in a water container. The horse screeched, attempting to retreat from the tree. The sap welling up around the horns was thick, deep green, glistening in the vague sunlight. Rue approached, aware of how the leaves snapped underneath her feet. "… good job."

The samurai nodded, closing the container with a stopper. He looked at her, waiting for the next step. She gestured to a tall stone structure. When she explained there should be an indentation at the top which should be filled with the tree sap, he nodded. She ventured a final question. "What about the horse?"

He paused.

"I mean… I'm not really fond of it either, y'know. But if we leave it here it'll die. It killed a lot of other people as well though…" She lost her track of thought when she considered that part of the animal. It seemed their choice was being made for them however, as the creature pulled its head back. Before she could see how it freed itself, the samurai grabbed her hand and pulled her with him. Around them the trees chimed crystalline, beneath their feet fallen leaves snapped as melodious as the old bones that interspersed them. Rue tried to keep up, but the samurai was pulling her along more than that she did the effort by herself. In his other hand he held his sword. Behind them the horse screeched again, before the thundering of hooves pursued them.

The samurai jumped without warning, pulling her with him. He pushed her towards the stairs, clearly too concerned with keeping them alive rather than keeping her free from bruises. He stood between her and the horse, the animal stampeding in full force. Until it reached the base of the stone tower. There it paused, stamping its hooves on the dirt just before it.

Rue wiped stray hair away from her face. "He can't step here?"

"It would appear to be so," Jack agreed with her, still holding his sword firmly in one hand. The animal seemed to be frustrated, trampling the ground before the stones. Sweat dappled its sides, the dark gray of its coat rippled like quicksilver. Then it snorted and turned around.

They waited for a few seconds, tense. "Now what?" Jack asked her.

Rue gestured to the top of the tower. They climbed the stairs, wary of any boobytraps that might be hidden. None of those were to be found, and they reached the top safely. There the basin lay, in the middle of an expanse maybe three meters wide. It was smeared with dark green goo, the dried remnants of tree sap. They were not the first ones to come here. Jack held his little container of tree sap above it, raising a questioning eyebrow at her. She nodded, and he uncorked the bottle.

The sap slowly dripped from the bottle mouth, the first drop lingering forever at the entrance. Finally it fell, trickling towards the center of the basin. Neither of them spoke as they waited for something to happen. Then the ground underneath their feet rumbled. Small pebbles shook along the moss covered crevices between stones as Rue grabbed the basin for support. Next to her the samurai sheathed his sword, grabbing her upper arm with one hand. Before she could say anything the ground dropped from beneath their feet.

He must have found something to push off against, because they didn't fall straight down. Instead he grabbed a gnarly root that had been lodged between two tiles. The gnarly piece of wood creaked, but held their weight. Then the walls shifted, and the movement snapped their small flicker of hope. Out of reflex the samurai jumped, taking her with him. Desperately she stretched out her hands, wrapped her free arm around a free standing piece of stone. "What's happening?"

"The second trial! We must go down!"

Down? Around them stones hurried down in asymmetrical groups. They had perhaps a few seconds before theirs would move down as well, plunging them into the depths.

"When I saw jump, jump," the samurai told her. Not even a second passed before the command came.

Somehow her feet found a slippery grip on the stone, enough for her to make a feeble contribution to their jump to a different rock formation. Would her journey end in witnessing the samurai's death before plunging to her own, if she was that lucky? Mid-air he changed his grip from her wrist to her waist. She tried to not cling to him, instead using her hands to find reprieve in cracks in the wall, perhaps giving him the chance to breathe for a few seconds. He grunted in appreciation once, before pulling her with him as well. They followed the stones' downward motion, but not at the same whiplashing speed.

Suddenly there was solid ground beneath her feet. Queasy Rue fell to her knees, her stomach protesting loudly at how she was treated. She gasped for breath, looking up at the samurai who was still standing next to her. The ground around them was littered with decayed corpses, each one of them dressed in heavy armor. The metal was dented or downright torn. Rue guessed their light attire had saved them a similar fate.  
A few meters from them the receptacle glinted in the sparse light. Rubble had miraculously missed shattering the raised stone. Seemingly out of nowhere a rodent-like creature appeared, climbing up to the receptacle. It stuck in its tiny paws and licked off the tree sap. Its light purple fur shimmered in the eerie light.

"Excuse us… are you the guardian?" Rue asked, remembering the fabled third step of the quest. She also knew that no one had ever actually walked out of this particular ruin alive. It could be a trap placed by Master Aku. He never told anyone which myths had been created by him and which ones were actual remainders of a distant past.

The creature squeaked in surprise. "Visitors! And alive at that!"

"I came here in search of the portal. Is it near?" the samurai asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.

"Yes, yes. The mirror is near, containing the greatest treasure of all. Through there!" the creature motioned to a vine-covered wall before dipping its hands once more in the thick tree sap. Loudly slurping it continued its meal.

Rue stood up, fully aware of the smarting ache in her arms and legs. Somewhere in their trip down she'd banged her head against the rock. Gingerly she touched the tips of her fingers to her chin. When she caught the samurai's eye she immediately placed her hands behind her back. "I'm fine."

The samurai sighed, but didn't comment on her assertion. Instead he ripped part of his already damaged kimono, handing her the piece of white fabric. "You have some blood, here." He gestured to his own chin, before turning to the wall. As they approached the creature wished them good luck, intermixed with slobbering sounds.

The vines covered an entrance to a deeper part of the cave. Glowing funghi lighted their way, casting dark orange spots across the darkness. After the riotousness of falling rocks or the stampeding hooves the cave was an unsettling quiet. The samurai's wooden shoes clacked against the stones, unlike her own soft leather footwear. After a while they heard something like dripping… the sound of falling water.

They exited the long tunnel and stepped into a small grove filled with ferns. Beneath their feet a thin stone channel, perhaps as wide as a hand, ran past them. Birds whistled above theirs heads, perching in mighty oaks and the soft tingling Unia trees. Vines ran along their branches, soft pink flowers spreading sweet scents. Rue followed after the samurai, who seemed to have an almost uncanny sense of direction when it came to finding the end of his felt as if they were walking towards the center of the cave. Above them the roof tapered to a cone shape, the top opening so sunlight could fall inside. A waterfall poured through, creating a rainbow at the very top of the roof. She felt impressed. This was so different from her musty old desk. "Do you always see places like this?"

Her companion stopped and glanced around him with a smile. "Not always… but often enough to make my journey bearable."

She nodded, surprised by his answer. For her every sight outside of the temporary capital was new and surprising. Of course in the capital everything had Master Aku's face stamped on it. She felt a twinge of remorse for considering her new travels more interesting than her everyday life.

In the center of the cave the stone waterways convened around a large stone frame. It measured well above the samurai's head. Water poured on top of it, creating a seeming mirror out of the water. Around them were a few more bodies. All of them seemed to have stabbed themselves with their own weapon, the skeletal knuckles grappling with the hilt embedded in their chests. The strangest thing was that neither of them were reflected in the mirror. Instead a face stared out at them, the eyes and mouth completely composed out of foam.

"Welcome, seekers of truth," the face said. It sounded like rain drops hitting a tin roof. "Long and arduous has your journey been. I hope the knowledge I will impart to you will serve you well."

"I don't mean to be rude but… you do not have the same ki as any of the portals I have encountered so far," the samurai said cautiously.

"A fount of knowledge which imparts the most sought after power of all," Rue quoted from her notes. "We assumed you would be able to grant wishes."

Laughter like a storm in a glass sounded. "No, travelers. Many have come here, seeking for trinkets, fabled weapons or magic. All I offer is the greatest power of all. The knowledge of the self, and how to improve. Many are incapable of accepting my ultimate proof."

The samurai sighed and bowed his head. "Then this was another failure. Yet if you have any help to impart to me, I humbly request you give it to me."

The face in the water gurgled and disappeared. The flow of water became smooth and reflected only the samurai, despite Rue standing right next to him. Instead he stood as if commencing a great battle, sword drawn as a crowd watched him facing Master Aku. "Samurai Jack, the man out of time. To your blade the task of destroying Aku has fallen. As its bearer you have faced hardships, yet your heart has not hardened. The many you have aided praise your name, your deeds inspire others to step out and make something of their life. Your very nature strikes fear in the heart of your foe. Few can claim your noble spirit."  
Then the crowd and Aku vanished from the mirror, leaving him standing on his own. He appeared to be paler than his blade, which became more defined than him. "But ask yourself this, noble prince. What is your life? Have you anything that is truly to be called your own besides the blade that demands your service? What happens to you in so many years if you continue on this path alone? A king does not rule alone, yet you push away those who might aid you. You claim it would endanger their lives. You deny yourself so many pleasures, samurai. Stop pushing away the few who might lessen your burden."

"I cannot ask others to face my battles for me!"

"They would not fight the battles for the samurai, but they would fight them with you. Is there not the Scotsman, a man who could be your true friend if you allowed it? Are there not the dogs, who would lavish you with the same unwavering obedience their ancestors have showed you? It would not shame your spirit to accept aid or friendship."

The samurai looked away as if shamed. "I only meant to protect them."

"Noble indeed. But misguided. One last piece of advice, noble spirit. In the future you will experience treason. If you avenge yourself as would be your right, you forfeit very little. But if you attempt to understand the honor of another, you might gain everything."

Rue saw how she herself became the new focus of the mirror. The samurai faded away in a fountain of bubbles, leaving her reflection in a towering room. She was surrounded by flickering screens and people who took notes with serious expressions. The room was filled with smoke, eliciting coughs from all.  
"Rue of Arkham, your current position does not befit your legacy. You spend your days filing reports, praising the evil that has infected this country and count yourself lucky to survive another day. The sight of blood is something which you consider normal. Every day your people sink more into servitude to darkness, clinging to remnants of a past you cannot remember."  
She shook, clenching her hands to fists. Her reflection looked as if the blood had been drained out of her face. Only the eyes seemed to be somewhat alive. The reflection of harsh lights seemed softened by them. Then the scene changed. The smoke thickened before fanning out again. This time she was standing alone, glancing around her with an air of assurance that looked annatural on her.

"You have taken a chance by coming here. The chance to walk the road to the destiny that has been denied those of your kind. The road is winding, confusing. The path to truth is littered by thorns and fire."

Dark red lines appeared in geometric shapes across her reflections face. Rue stepped back, fearing it was blood. "What happens to me?"

"If you fail to see true honor, death. If you decide to seek truth, you will walk the path of the shaman as you once were meant to. A word of advice; reflect upon your actions. See the world through the lenses of who you could be. Never assume truth."

"Th-that's not really helpful, is it? What's a shaman anyway?" Rue asked, suddenly terrified. No matter what it was, she was already sure she didn't like it.

Instead of answering her the water mirror merely reflected both her and the samurai now. Her cheeks were flushed, she saw. Behind her the samurai had his hands tucked in his sleeves, seemingly thinking over things.

"A shaman is a spirit guide," he told her. "We had them in my time. They commune with the deceased and are keepers of history. Being one is not such a bad thing."

Rue looked at him doubtfully. Maybe in his time talking to dead people hadn't been necessarily bad, but she was pretty sure in this time there were more dead people than living, courtesy master Aku. If she really could talk to dead people, she wasn't sure how the deliverer of darkness would react to that. "I suppose we should be getting back to a more inhabited place. But… how do we do that?"

She followed his glance to the ceiling and sighed. Of course there would be climbing involved.


	4. Torn

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jack feels selfish for taking Rue further with him, while Rue is starting to have second thoughts about assassinating Jack.

Jack had been surprised at miss Arkham's request to continue traveling with him. He had been of a mind to refuse her at once. But the words of the mirror had resounded in his head, asking him why he preferred loneliness. The answer had been given for him often enough. In the past week alone they had been attacked thrice, two times by Aku's henchmen and once by some mistaken vagrants. In the cases where he had been attacked by Aku's robots she'd held to the sidelines, which he duly appreciated. Fighting was challenging enough at times and he did not need the added burden of making sure he didn't accidentally injure her.

In the fight with the vagrants however she had actually taken it on herself to bang their leader on the head with a frying pan. It had taken Jack some gentle persuasion with the blunt end of his sword to save her. Afterward she had looked as if she wanted to apologize profusely for the action.

"Please forgive yourself. I am certain the bandit leader has encountered worse in his life," he consoled her as they sat down for dinner in an inn. The instant glow of red around her ears told him he had been correct in his assumption.

She huddled over her bowl of stew, picking at it with a fork. "I've never hit someone before. I mean… I even think there was blood."

Jack sighed. It was easy to forget sometimes not everybody lived their life as he did. "This is why I asked you to remain in the village, miss Arkham. You are… not a warrior. Even if your fate is to be a shaman, they rarely fought in battle. As now you are a clerk. For your own safety, reconsider your plans."

"No!" she shouted, before quickly glancing around to see if she had disturbed anyone. "I mean… you said it was okay, right? I really want to try coming with you. I'm sure I could learn a lot from it."

Jack feared that the thing she would learn first was how dangerous his life truly was. He took a spoonful of stew, reaching for his mug of tea. To his dismay he found it empty. "Please excuse me, miss Arkham. I shall return shortly." He had found a personal request for hot water was easier than transmitting the request through several waitresses to a confused bartender. As it was it still took him a full three minutes that he indeed wanted plain hot water.

When he returned he was surprised to find miss Arkham had attracted a suitor. Though she lacked no feminine charms, he had expected her to spontaneously self-combust when confronted with anything amorous. It had taken her a full five days to have an average conversation with him, and she still didn't manage it without the occasional stutter.  
He sat down in front of them, not intending to interfere with any plans she might make for herself this evening. But when he looked up to send her a smile to signal this, he found big blue eyes looking at him in a plea for help.

"You shimmer like… like the grease on my favorite sausages," the youth told her in ardent passion.

"… I'm trying to eat, you know," she replied meekly, quickly stuffing her mouth with stew to prove her point.

"I can wait. For you I can always wait," he answered her, clearly not taking the hint.

Jack judged from the choking sound she made that miss Arkham hadn't expected that reply. "I expect the weather will clear up soon. That means easy traveling in the morning for us," he remarked casually to the damsel in poorly hidden distress.

Rue latched on to his sentence in gratitude. "Sounds wonderful. I've been really intending to get some more sketching done."

"Hey buddy, I'm talking to the lady here. Just drink your hot water and leave us be."

Rue banged her fist on the table in a show of frustration. "Oh, how dense can one be? Me and the sir samurai are traveling together. Why must you be as dense as a… a… wooden spoon? That hurts!"

He sprang to action as soon as he saw the youth lay hands on miss Arkham. His spoon left his hand in a second, slapping the man against the side of his hand. With a yelp the boy let go of her, sucking his injured finger. When he glared at Jack, Jack raised his eyebrows at him. "Miss Arkham has clearly stated she has no interested in a conversation with you. Please leave her to her meal in peace."

The man glared between the two of them, eyebrows narrowed as he sucked on his pained finger. "Sheesh, if you already have a man, tell me from the start. Can't believe I wasted my time like this." With a snarl he pushed back his part of the bench, stomping off towards the bar.

Miss Arkham picked up his spoon and cleaned it with her napkin before handing it back. "Thank you," she mumbled, before resuming her meal.

"Judging from your outburst, I suspect I saved him from a verbal lashing," Jack answered her with a smile. Her mouth formed a surprised 'o' as he continued. "You have a way with words, as long as you don't remember you are conversing with someone."

She bowed her head, dark hair falling past her ears. When she looked back at him it was with a shy smile. Jack realized it was the first time he had seen her smile at him. It suited her. Her voice was soft and matter of factly. "I don't know if I mentioned this before, but I don't really talk a lot to people at my work. Most of the time I just shout at malfunctioning robots. I'm not really used to having someone around that will actually reply."

"Surely your family are among those you can freely converse with," Jack gently pressed her. He was rather curious about those around her.

She fidgeted in her seat, looking down at her hands. The locket around her neck glinted in the sparse tavern light. "My father died a few years ago. My kind is mostly human, but we still have some traits from before. We can't really handle much in ways of pollution. With the way things are going, my mother doesn't have much longer either. And since Master Aku made all the reproduction laws, not many are allowed children."  
She let her spoon fall in the greasy remainders of her stew. "I fear we are a dying breed."

Jack remained silent after those words. This too was an atrocity of Aku. Not in the mindless bloodshed of a needless massacre, but instead the slow, steady murder of an entire people. "What were you before?" He could hardly detect a trace of something non-human in miss Arkham. Perhaps the only thing was the strange lightness of her eyes, and even then the light had to fall just right.

She shrugged, looking up at him. "Who knows… it's said we came from the stars long ago, and lived in harmony with forest dwellers. Something changed and we had to take refuge under Master Aku's reign. Nobody knows what it was, or when it happened. Some of the elders say we have a duty to that old people who mixed their blood with ours."

"Perhaps…" Jack started, before doubting. Would the suggestion he was about to make really be for her benefit? Or was it a selfish part of him that longed for a companion during his travels? Her eyes were questioning. "The water mirror did suggest yours was a different path than the one you have walked until now. What if your destiny lay along the lines of going back to those who once helped your people?"

She stared at him as if he had lost his mind. "That… a destiny? Me? I'm a clerk. My destiny involves my hands covered in ink and memorizing everything I am told."

"Just something to think about," he assured her, finishing the rest of his meal. He didn't mention she at least had the head for being a shaman. They were primarily keepers of myths and legends, offering guidance from lessons learned from history.  
Miss Arkham was quiet for the remainder of their dinner, staring at the fire that burned a ways off. As they retreated to their shared room - leaving her to a room alone would have been more gentlemanlike, but might put her at risk - her strange blue eyes looked up at him. As he looked down he noted her eyelashes were long and delicate.

"Thank you for your kind words, sir samurai. You are… different from what I expected."

"Have I offended you, miss Arkham?" he asked, thinking he might have crossed a line.

She shook her head. "No… you've just given me a lot to think about."

|Rue|

Once they'd settled for the night, each in their separate beds, Rue curled up in a ball and threw the covers over her. She needed to think. The past few days had given her a lot to think about. It was, simply put, a battle between right and wrong inside of her now. She could kill the samurai, earning herself and her mother their freedom. A release from the life debt she owed Aku as the first of her people.  
The memory of how he helped her during dinner nagged at her conscience. His attempts at cheering her up after the vagrant attack jumped into the fray. Added to that there was the simple courtesy he did her of just listening.

She turned to lie on her back, observing the half-illuminated, cracked ceiling. His light breathing didn't halt, but she was sure that at the slightest move he could slice anyone in half. The samurai. Lethality in an efficient package. Not much talk, but what he said was smart. Polite to a fault, and modest to boot. The kind of guy you allowed to walk you home in a scary neighborhood.

Jack.

He had a name and a face now. He kept her safe because it was the right thing to do. And he was kind. She gripped the locket dangling from her neck, squeezing her eyes shut. Poisoning the samurai had sounded daunting, but do-able on a moral scale. Poisoning Jack on the other hand, that was…

She turned on her side, observing the rise and fall of his chest. If she didn't poison him, what were her options? Continue with him on his quest, until the moment he either failed or went back to his own time? Go back home and spend a few miserable days in fear, waiting for her punishment? Or go on her own quest, as he had suggested? That was perhaps the most miserable idea of all. Her days in the woods so far had shown she wasn't exactly outdoorsy material. And even if she succeeded, being a shaman didn't sound appealing to her.

No… she had to go through with it. Just one little shake over his tea. He'd let her make it once now, when she'd expressed curiosity about the drink. The taste was slightly bitter and the leaves had the annoying habit of sneaking in her mouth. Jack - the samurai, she reminded herself - had gotten a hearty laugh out of that one, when she'd spent a minute trying to spit out the errant leaves.  
She wondered how the poison tasted. Would it hurt him terribly? Would he realize what she had done and look at her with reproach and hurt?

She turned in her bed again, the springs creaking underneath her. Jack was breathing silently, only a meter away from her. And in her hand she clasped Aku's poison. What should she do?

When morning came she excused herself, asking leave for a private moment. The samurai didn't press the matter, though Rue noted the wary way he scanned the hallway before letting her leave. The way in which he matter of factly took her safety into account was another mark in his advantage. Another tiny detail that might very well lead to her downfall. If he suspected her, he could not orchestrate it better.

"I need to make a phone call," she said, sliding a coin over the table. The currency had Aku's face stamped on it. Everything on the damned planet had Aku's face stamped on it. The innkeeper took it, biting it gingerly. When the metal held, he grinned at her. The gaps between his teeth were wide, his tongue purple. Then again, she wondered if anyone on this planet was purely human anymore, besides Jack.

"Yer the one that's travelin' with samurai Jack, int'cha?" the innkeeper asked, pocketing the money. When she nodded awkwardly he slid a rusty phone over the counter. "When ye go back up to yer room I'll have yer breakfast ready. With the hot water he fancies."

Rue nodded, not sure what she was supposed to answer in a situation like that. Somehow wishing Aku's blessings on him didn't seem like the best way to go around things. Instead she imitated Jack. "Thank you. That's very kind of you."

"Just my civic duty, missus. Give him my gratitude. And if ye can, keep an eye on him?"

Feeling as if the cat had not only stolen her tongue, but then had chopped it in tiny pieces, marinated and fried it up, Rue managed a nod with a tight little smile. The squat little innkeeper waddled off, mumbling something about hot water. With a sinking feeling she dialed the number she'd memorized. The phone rang. She felt as if every person in the common room was staring at her. That it was only a grand total of three people didn't matter.

"Yeeeeees? I'm busy, what do you want?" Aku snapped at her through the phone. Somewhere in the background a person screamed.

Rue took a deep breath. "Master, it's Rue."

"… who?"

"The one you sent after…" she looked around the common room again, deciding she might want be a bit inconspicuous. "… your long lost friend. The man with the sword."

"Oh yes, yes… the priest girl, weren't you? I thought you were dead by now. Are you calling me with good news?"

She didn't bother to correct him. If he didn't remember her name, her profession would mean even less to her. "No master. I… up until this point I haven't given your gift to him yet." The silence over the phone was deafening. The static only served to emphasize the shallow breaths she took. "I have no excuses to make. During my time here we were attacked several times and went to one temple. He overcame every challenge with ease."

"So there was no point at all where you did anything to help him?" Aku asked her. Did she imagine the slight strain in his voice? Was there any kind of inflection she was missing?

"I…" She thought back over the last two weeks. She did not think Aku meant something like washing up after their dinners, or showing the samurai her sketches to relieve his boredom. She thought back to their run-in with the thugs. Then she'd hit their leader on the head, dazing him for a second while he snuck up on Jack. But that hadn't been saving him. That had simply made his fight easier. And if he died in a fight with someone who didn't answer directly to Aku, that would have just delivered her to a fate worse than death. Aku had made his wishes very clear. "I have done nothing that can be considered a breach of my debt to you."

"Isn't that dandy news. You were chosen because you are weak, but I did expect results sooner. Don't tell me the samurai has charmed his way into your good graces? According to your records, you never were the type to go for the knight on the white horse." Now there was a decided sadistic tone to Aku's voice, grating across her mind.

Her moral compass had completely lost its north. At the moment it felt more like a roulette wheel anyway. She knew Aku was evil, and Jack good. But the blood debt… breaking that would make her evil. Killing Jack did the same thing. "Master, I assure you-"

"That reminds me, your mother misses you. She mentioned she knows her wittle girl won't be a disappointment. Make her proud, don't you?"

Ice seized her heart. "Yes, master. As you command."

The call ended, and Rue stared at herself in the dirty mirror hidden behind liquor bottles on the other side of the counter. The innkeeper chose that moment to come back from the kitchen, handing her a tray laden with two plates with steaming omelets, a can of blue fruit juice, half a fish and a kettle that probably contained the hot water. She dragged her feet up the stairs to their shared room, staring down at the kettle. It was banged up quite badly, probably have been magicked up from the deepest recesses of the kitchen. Jack trusted her now. All she needed to do was just stop and pour in some powdered poison. Easy really.

With a shaky sigh she placed the tray on a wobbly table. She suddenly felt very hot and cold. Icy sweat trickled down her spine as she reached for the locket. Her fingers touched the little clasp that kept the contents inside. It's easy, she reminded herself. With a bit of luck he won't even feel it. Maybe it'll be quick, sudden.

The door to their room opened, making her jump in surprise. When Jack saw her he smiled. "I was getting worried about you, miss Arkham. But I see you brought breakfast. Is it so heavy?"

He assumed she'd put it down because it was heavy. Fumbling for words she nodded. He walked over to her in an easy gait, lifting the tray in one hand. With the other he hovered over her shoulder, not quite touching her but still guiding her. "Allow me to carry it for you. And hot water, how thoughtful."

She mumbled her assent, allowing him to shepherd her to their room. She'd missed another chance. Somehow she felt relieved that she had.


	5. Friendship

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Guess who fell down a flight of stairs today? It really hurts, but I didn't break anything so that's good news. If there's funny mistakes in this chapter, blame it on my pain meds.
> 
> Summary : Rue and Jack finally get a little bit friendly. As in, friends. It's a slow burn.

"That's it, you are too good to be true," Rue stated, staring at him. They were seated on a small bench at the side of the road, next to a robot orphanage that had been under attack only minutes before. Now caretakers were doing an assessment of everything that was broken, had gone missing or was in even more need of repair than before.

Jack seemed surprised at her statement. "Miss Arkham, what are you talking about?"

She counted on her fingers. "In the past two days you've won a skirmish with several of master Aku's Bugbots, convinced a water serpent to go vegan and literally saved orphans. Robot orphans. Do you have any idea how many people would turn these kids into toasters just for the heck of it?"

"Well… I… they needed help."

Rue took a sip of water. "I am traveling with a bona fide hero. The only thing that is missing is the white horse. Is there anything about you that isn't pure good?"

Now he really had become bashful. If her eyes didn't deceive her, he had started to blush. An actual blush accentuated his cheekbones as he glanced away from her. "You really are making too much of this."

She shrugged, leaning back. The bench creaked in alarm, leading her to sit up straighter. So this was what a good person looked like. She didn't hide her observation of him, instead slowly sipping her water as her eyes roved his face. She didn't get it. What was it that kept him going?

"My people… my parents," he told her, and only then she realized she'd asked the question aloud. "If I can go back in time I can stop all of this from happening. Aku will never have polluted the world. And… my parents will be able to grow old in peace. Perhaps… perhaps even be proud of me."

Seven hells, was he opening up to her?! "Who wouldn't be? I don't know if there's a person left on this planet that doesn't worship the ground you walk on. Sweet oblivion, you're the best thing that's happened to people since… since Aku!"

He looked in her eyes. His were so dark brown, they almost seemed black. There was still a smudge of ash on his cheek. He sounded almost pained. "Worshiping is not the same as… appreciation."

Well wasn't this great? Now her supposed victim didn't just have a name and a face, he had feelings. Emotions that were eerily like her own, only that people didn't generally jump for joy when they saw her. With a deep sigh she sank back on the bench, kicking an old bug bot leg away from her. "I've never met anyone who sees the world like you do." He saw this entire wretched existence as a place to do good. She mostly saw it as an ordeal to survive in as long as possible. She raised her head when she heard a squeaky sound. It sounded oddly familiar.

|Jack|

Miss Arkham raised her head at the squeaking sound one of the robot children emitted. He had seen it coming a few seconds earlier, chasing after a ball. With an air of sudden interest she turned in the bench, sitting on her knees. Her blue pants snagged in the motion, revealing a strip of skin at her hip. He considerately turned his eyes away, observing the child as she was. "Is there a problem?"

"Maaaybe," she conceded, running her index finger across her upper lip. It was a motion she oft repeated when thinking about something. "Not really a problem for us. That kid's one of the old ZI models. Judging from the sound of it his knee joints are going to snap any day now."  
She cocked her head to the side, eyes narrowing. She seemed to be focusing on the sound. "Sounds like old Pete did when someone spilled coffee down his main circuitry."

Odd. He hadn't pegged her emotions towards robots as sympathetic. In general she seemed spooked by everything around her, including him at times. When he carefully voiced his misconception she looked at him in surprise.

"You really pay attention to people, don't you? I don't care for robots much. The ones in my office have a tendency to explode every few months, or go ballistic and slice people to ribbons for not stapling files correctly. I learned how to fix some of the small things though. They fit together real logically. The hard part is convincing them they need to stand still so you can fix them." She looked at the kid with the squeaking knees, before her eyes trailed over the remainders of the carnage he had inflicted.

"Hey kid, wait up!" she shouted, standing up from her sitting position. She tottered on her feet for a few seconds, before running over to the waiting robot. On the way she only slipped over the oil-slicked grass twice, neither of the times falling. Jack watched as she started to explain something to the kid. When some of the other children appeared she sent them inside on an errand.

Miss Rue Arkham. She was undoubtedly a product of this time. Whenever she mentioned Aku her voice hitched in fear and she'd glance around as if his name could summon him. He couldn't foresee a time when her skittishness in a forest would diminish. Perhaps the path of a shaman would be too far-fetched for her. But for now she still accompanied him, and he liked that. He liked it quite much. She still ended up grasping for words often, but sometime she let her guard down like just now. Then she'd talk to him, share little personal tidbits. And he guessed she was perhaps in awe of him, but she did appreciate him. He felt it in the way she'd give an unguarded smile over the fire late at night, or when he aided her across a stream. Her soft hands would tentatively hold onto his callused ones, as if she was afraid she might drag him in the water along with her.

The kids had brought back a tool box, hanging around her to see what she was going to do. Jack watched in amusement as she wrenched part of a bug bot loose, falling back in the oily mud with a thud. The large part was subsequently stripped in smaller parts, until she found what she was looking for.  
Her small fix-up of the first child quickly ended in all of the children asking her for a check-up. After the first three Jack trailed over as well.

"Lady, could you look at my arm? It makes this weird scratchy- omigosh it's samurai Jack!"

The robot girl ended her sentence in near incomprehensible static, jumping up and down. Rue didn't look at him, instead grabbing the girl by the arm. She peered at a point near the armpit, before grabbing a magnifying glass. "Got it. You've got a steel splinter lodged in here. Now don't cry, I'll get it out. Won't hurt a bit."

"It won't?" the girl asked, dividing her attention between the hero and the splinter.

"I'll turn off your pain receptors for a few seconds. Here we go. Where did I put those tweezers?" miss Arkham looked around her, patting her loose pants in search of them. Jack leaned down and picked the implement up, cleaning it of dirt.

"Here you are," he offered helpfully. She glanced up at him from her sitting position, taking the tweezers. She sent him a quick grin. The muttered 'thanks' before she turned back to the child didn't turn his knees to jelly. But it did end up doing something weird to his stomach. A kind of strange squeeze. It had been a long time since he'd felt that squeeze.  
Perhaps it was the sudden splashes of oil around her nose, or that she'd pulled up her ponytail in a bun. The traces of red rust along her fingers could also be responsible. The rose in her cheeks because she was working. Or just that she was doing something nice for no reason other than to be nice.  
No matter the cause, the squeeze in his stomach was sudden and perplexing. As the day continued and it was clear miss Arkham wouldn't be done before nightfall, he pitched in and found some of the spare parts she needed most.

"No more twisting your nose. That's what's causing the oil leaks," she admonished one kid. The boy nodded solemnly when she slapped his hand away from his nose. "I mean it. If you wanna grow up to be a strong bot, you stop twisting your nose."

"Yes lady. Thanks samurai Jack!" the kid waved awkwardly at the both of them before rushing inside the building. Once inside he heard a chorus of little voices jammering. He was fairly certain tonight he wasn't the only shining example in their life.

Miss Arkham grinned up at him again, the smears of oil black against her pearly skin in the moonlight. Now he was positive of the little swirl in his stomach. A more alarming sign was that it also tickled in his toes. "Now I remember why I liked the desk job. There is oil everywhere."

He offered her a strip of his kimono, which had seen better days. In their next village stop he would have to spend some time tracking down a tailor or weaver. She accepted gratefully, using the strip to clean her fingers of the worst of grime. She almost managed to look presentable again just by doing that. "You're a lifesaver. They were preparing a bath for us. I'm thinking we could both use one."

When he looked down at his own hands and arms he nodded. Usually he could avoid most of the splatter in a fight, but now he felt drenched in honest work. When he flexed his arms little dried-up flakes floated to the ground. Miss Arkham started to get up. Out of reflex he offered her his hand, which she accepted almost without thinking.

He must have pulled a bit too hard, because she stumbled and nearly knocked him over. Instead she gripped his hand tighter with a giggle. "Oooh, head rush. Give me a minute."

Strange. He had considered her to be frail, something to be protected. She still was that, but now she'd also shown a certain perseverance. The grime and sweat had proven that this day. "Miss Arkham, I do believe you are a good person as well. You made a lot of children happy today."

Under the moonlight he couldn't be certain of her blush, but the way she tilted her head indicated embarrassment. With a nervous half-smile she let go of his hand. "I dunnow… maybe you rubbed off on me." Then she looked at her hand, which had come away from their handshake more blackened than it had been before. "Scratch that, you definitely rubbed off on me. Let's get washed up."

Rue submerged her head under water, containing something between a terrified scream and a happy squee. He'd called her a good person, and for a second she had actually believed him. Coming back up she gulped for air. It tasted metallic, almost rusty. The scent of oil hung heavy in the air.  
She resumed scrubbing her fingers, trying to get rid of the final black traces that had lodged in the creases of her skin. Oil smear was harder to remove than blood, despite her diligent scrubbing.

"Lady samurai?" a small, staticky voice asked.

Rue looked up from her fruitless attempts. The robot girl she'd helped with the metal splinter stood in the door entrance, with an expression as if she wasn't sure she ought to be there. Or maybe she didn't fancy getting close to the bath water. Rue doubted she had a waterproof coating.

"Yes? Oh, I'm not a samurai," she added the last part in a hurry.

The girl smiled. "No, but you travel with samurai Jack! And you helped us too. Anyway, samurai Jack agreed to tell us a story before bedtime. Will you come listen too?"

Rue promised she would, but also mentioned they could get started without her. She got out of the bath, shuddering when she saw the dark gray the water had colored. The staff of the orphanage had laid out some white fabric garments, intended for pajamas. Slipping in those she walked through the chilly building. Since the residents were all robots there was no need for heating.

She walked briskly to the left wing, which had been damaged the least during the raid. The floor felt freezing and she wrapped her arms around her to keep warm. As she neared the big room, she heard Jack's voice. The cadence betrayed he was telling a fairytale. She slipped through the crack of the opened door, lingering near the entrance of the door.

The children were gathered in a half-circle around the samurai, each one of them hanging on his every word. The two caretakers of the facility motioned for her to join them at a small table separated from the children. She tip-toed over to them, only minorly distracting the children.

"He's so dreamy," the matronly looking robot cooed, leaning her head on her hand. The soft whizzing of her machinery sped up when she considered the samurai. "You're so lucky, getting to travel with him. Oh, what I wouldn't give."

Dreamy? Was that the word others used to describe him? Rue glanced at Jack as he told how a princess named Kaguya posed her suitors impossible challengers. He wasn't a very animated storyteller, but there was a determination in the cadence of his voice, pulling his audience with him in the tale.  
"Yeah… I'm lucky."

Every time she'd convinced herself that maybe, somewhere deep inside of her, there was a scrap of courage to be summoned, he was the personification of charm. How exactly did one justify the killing of a man who risked his life for orphans and then told them a bedtime story? If she had any courage at all, it was lodged behind layers of blood curdling cowardice.

Suddenly she was aware of Jack's eyes meeting hers, and she realized she'd been staring. Flustered she broke eye contact, instead contemplating the wall on the other side of the room as she listened to the story. Before long several of the children started to nod off. When they did the caretakers picked them up and brought them to bed. Rue found herself in the same capacity, trying to gently lift a child that easily weighed as much as she did. When the story ended, the few die-hard fans were sent to bed as well, leaving the grown-ups to their own designs.

They stood gathered in a group of four, having a short conversation which consisted mostly of some very solid hero worship. After a lull in the conversation the matron bot glanced between the two human guests and yawned, a gesture that was very artificial for a robot. "My my, look at the time. It's about time we get to recharging ourselves. Here we go, m'dear."

The other bot emitted a surprised zoom when the matron bot grabbed them by the arm. The matron continued as she marched towards the door. "You two just catch up. Lots happened today, you must feel the positive need to tell each other aaaaall about it."

The two humans blinked a few times, processing the sudden departure. Rue broke the silence first. "I… I quite liked your story. Very interesting."

"Something my mother used to read to me when I was younger," he replied. When their eyes met he chuckled. "This world manages to surprise me in good ways as well. I am grateful for it."

"I'll bet you didn't think you'd be reading fairytales to robots this week. Sure beats the company of the last week," Rue said with a half-shrug.

"Well, not all company this week was bad. Some of it I found quite enjoyable," Jack confessed to her. This time he was the one to study the opposite wall. "Dare I say the company was quite… friendly?"

Somewhere in the back of her head alarm bells went ringing. A little voice told her that being friends most definitely meant not killing the other person. Travel companions, yes. But friends were supposed to be sacred. "I… friendly, yes. Most certainly even."

Stupid, stupider and stupidst. Her treacherous lips folded into a smile as she walked into the corridor towards her allocated bedroom. When she opened the door she was surprised to see two single beds shoved together, both of their stuff neatly arranged on one chair. Friends was one thing. This was a whole new level. "I think the staff also thinks we're very friendly with each other."

Jack looked over her shoulder and made a small choking sound. "So it would seem."

"We can shove the beds apart?"

"An astute observation," he conceded, setting to work immediately.

Mere minutes later they both occupied their single beds. Lying on her side Rue faced Jack. He wasn't that far removed; the beds had made a ghastly shrieking sound when moved. Rather than waking the entire building they'd contented themselves with half a meter of distance. A night light burned between them. Rue had her finger on the off-switch.

"Sir samurai?" Rue started, before realizing she didn't really have anything to say. Instead she ventured a question. "That thing about being friends… did you, I mean, were you serious?"

"I quite believe I was," he offered, his voice soft.

The familiar feeling of guilt was still in her stomach, only it was gently ushered to the side by the warm fuzziness one experienced when making a new friend. "That makes me very happy. Thank you."

"You are very welcome."


	6. Nature is Your Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rue helps Jack on a bridge and tries to make friends with a snake.
> 
> I watched the last episode by the way, and I totally loved the villain, he was really cool. I am not a fan of Jack's facial hair, though that is of course personal preference. I already found a way of incorparating 'Aku's daughters' in the story as well, so yay!
> 
> If anybody would be interested in become a beta for this story, please let me know. I mostly need someone to check typo's and let me know when things seem to be moving too fast. As it is a slow burn story, I'm not too concerned with things moving too slow.

Their departure from the orphanage was a cheerful affair, with lots of handshaking, children hugging them and directions to the nearest town. The sky might have been colored gray, but there were few signs of it starting to rain soon. All in all, it was a day for leisurely traveling.

One of the many things that freaked out miss Rue was the scuttling of animals in the bushes. Even rabbits managed to scare her into a fit. While she didn't exactly grab Jack's arm, she did venture as close as possible to him. The samurai feared he was developing his own gravitational orbit at this rate. Added to her rather easily frightened nature was the tendency of her feet to operate autonomously from the rest of her body. They seemed to willfully map out the road they traveled by looking for cracks and then really committing to investigating those.

The third time she tripped he managed to keep her upright by clasping her upper arm. "Sorry," she told him in a breathy way that suggested she had been really trying to not screw up this time. "I don't think I'll ever get used to traveling."

"Perhaps you could sketch more as we walk?" he suggested, hoping it would have the usual effect of tempering her straying feet.

Disconsolate she pointed ahead of them. He followed her finger, seeing the rickety rope bridge spanning a chasm. He nodded understandingly and braced himself for the next step in their journey. Although precognition wasn't exactly a warrior skill, he considered himself to be quite adept at guessing what might happen. Anyone who had a vague understanding of gravity and miss Rue could deduce what would undoubtedly happen.

He tested every part of the bridge carefully, stepping on it before she did. It was slow moving, but Jack found it more preferable than his companion falling through and getting killed. With every step they took the bridge creaked treacherously. Every few steps a splinter would break loose or a withered vine crunched. Jack found that miss Rue's knuckles were white around the coarse ropes that served as handles. But everything went smoother than expected. She merely copied his movements, placing her feet where he had placed them.

A bird flew up from the opposing bushes. Behind him miss Rue grabbed the rope railing further than she had been supposed to, while Jack set down his foot harder than intended. Something snapped and the planks beneath him gave way. It was reflexes that saved him, grabbing one of the planks and saving him a long fall.

Above him miss Rue knelt on one of the planks. "A-are you okay?"

Jack grimaced at the question. "Yes."

"Can I help?" she asked him, sounding unsure of her capacities in that regard.

"Check the planks first. It wouldn't do for you to fall as well," he suggested, briefly trying to pull himself up. The board he held creaked treacherously. Any additional pressure on that thing and it would snap cleanly in two. Above him miss Rue tapped the planks, putting pressure on them as he indicated.

When he seemed to be satisfied her head popped back in view. She opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if trying to sort things through. Her dark eyebrows came together in a neat frown as she looked down on him. Then she closed her eyes as if signing a death sentence and lowered down a hand. Her silver necklace dangled down, reminding him of the existence of gravity more poignantly than he was already aware. The locket glinted in the sunlight, nearly blinding him. One day he would have to ask her if it was significant in any way. "I just pull you up now, don't I?"

He nodded, raising his free hand carefully. He reached past her smooth palm, and gripped her slim wrist tightly. She reciprocated in kind and nodded once fiercely. The planks underneath her made a noise that turned her white in the face, but she didn't let go. When Jack was standing on the bridge again she sank to her knees, gripping the vines around her.

"You did well," he assured her. She nodded, slightly green around the nose. "Let us get off this bridge now, for our own safety."

They reached the other side without any more incidents. Once there miss Rue threw her hands around a skinny tree, holding on as if it was the only thing that might keep her upright. "I didn't know it was possible to dislike bridges. It would appear I have been proven wrong."

"Things could have been worse," he told her, before from somewhere above them an animal screeched wildly. He unsheathed his sword and turned around. He would have to be careful with his words, because somehow this sort of thing always happened.

When the battle was done miss Rue knelt down next to the dead animal. The way her lips pursed it was clear she thought the whole organic business to be distasteful at best. When he asked her about it she squinted down at the beast, which judging from the anatomy descended from earlier-time baboons. Her answer was slow, as if she wasn't quite sure. "The claws, I guess. And the fur. I mean, all animals seem to have that in common, and I'm not quite sure just why nature would devise creatures that way. WE don't have fur and claws, and our teeth aren't all pointy. And they always seem to attack."

"Not all animals are like that, miss Rue," he explained while cleaning his sword. It would seem tonight's dinner would be monkey. He'd had stranger in his education. "Some are quite affable. I mean, take cats for example-"

"You mean the ones with the forked tongues and claws?" she asked for clarification.

"… the tongue is a new aspect, but yes. Cats are quite affable creatures. Dogs as well. In my time people often kept dogs as pets."

"The animals with the really big canines? Descended from wolves?"

Jack realized he was now dealing with the prejudice that stemmed from being raised in an environment that had never hosted any live creature. He had a strong suspicion that even rats probably steered clear from the area she had worked in. "If you wish, I shall teach you which animals are safe to approach and which are not."

|Rue|

Rue concentrated on the samurai's nature lessons, if only because it distracted her from a more pressing matter. She had aided him on the bridge. She could have killed him, she thought. The plank he had been hanging from had sounded as if it was near snapping. It would have been easy.  
But then she'd looked down at the long fall and imagined going that way herself. Jack was kind, and she hadn't had the heart to go through with it. The poison would probably be quicker. Perhaps he would never know what hit him. That's what she hoped for anyway.

As they walked he pointed out several animals which were all very benign. Rue observed the rabbits and deer, animals which tended to run as soon as they saw a human approach. He described other creatures to her, making sure she did follow her natural instincts should she ever encounter, for example, a bear. Judging from the description and her natural tendency to even regard bunnies as a threat, she suspected she wouldn't lack motivation to run.

As evening fell she looked down on the notes that littered her sketch book. There was actually a lot of useful information in here. Throughout Aku's reign her people had lost their connection to a natural environment, and all of them considered even a mouse a huge threat. She wondered what the general opinion would be when she sent these papers, assuring everyone that some animals considered people a threat. He had diffused the 'common knowledge' that small rodents were extremely venomous.

Jack had encouraged her to approach one of the rabbits around their campsite. As he pointed out, it would help her sketching and they were absolutely safe. She might even pet one if she worked up the courage. The fire of their campsite would keep away any predators that could be considered threatening. She'd obeyed, wandering about but still keeping the fire in her field of vision. If something happened she could scream and the samurai would save her.

That last thought was even more troublesome than wild rabbits.

A hissing sound stopped her dead in her tracks. Vaguely she wondered what kind of sound rabbits did make. Then her eyes landed on a low-hanging branch, where a creature coiled around the thick tree limb. It resembled, she thought, a kind of thick, green rope, like a vine. But it moved slowly and didn't seem inclined to attack.

Rue considered the animal. As it yawned she saw no sign of sharp teeth, which made it infinitely more preferable than a dog. The tongue seemed to be forked, sampling the air around it, but this was a trait it shared with cats. The samurai had assured her that generally speaking cats were safe to approach. And it did not seem to have any claws or fur. That obviously made it far better as a practice partner than say a bear or a wolf.

After some consideration she termed it to be a snake, though she didn't know what species exactly. Jack had mentioned that she should steer clear of brightly colored animals since those were poisonous. This snake was colored in green and brown and black, all colors which were generally deemed to be natural. Bunnies and deer were brown and black and white. So honestly, there wasn't that big of a difference. And trees were green, as was grass and moss. She doubted a tree had ever killed anyone.

So it was with a show of more courage than she had felt ever before that Rue approached the snake.

|Jack|

He fed some twigs to the fire and slowly turned the monkey on the fire. The forest was quiet, but it was the good kind of quiet, where bugs made their noises and owls hooted in the distance. Usually the presence of one of Aku's minions was precluded by a silence in the natural world. The only thing that would attack them now was an animal, and those were hardly ever a problem.

A rustling to his left alerted him to miss Rue returning to the campfire. He wondered if she'd been able to find a rabbit to sketch. His primary aim had been to show her that animals would generally attempt to avoid her, and that there was no need to panic around them. If she was to become a shaman at some point it was rather vital that she learn how to at least co-exist with animals.

"Sir samurai?" she called out to him. "I found an interesting animal, but I would like you to take a look at it first." In response he stood up, ready to come to her side. Her voice halted him, as she came closer and closer. "Oh, don't bother standing up. I brought it with me. It really is quite docile. I hadn't expected an animal to be this amiable to being touched."

Now this was a strange turn of events. Miss Rue actually working up the courage to touch an animal was something he hadn't anticipated to happen for weeks. It gave him an odd sense of satisfaction to know his unofficial pupil was willing to trust in his word so much she'd go against her natural instincts. "I am very curious to see what you've brought."

Miss Rue stepped into the light of the fire. Jack forgot how to breathe for a second. He had expected a tiny little mouse, perhaps a young and frightened bunny. Instead she had a full-grown constrictor draped around her arms and neck, the snake slowly winding his way down her waist. It seemed to be rather unhurried, as the prey showed no signs of escaping.

Jack swallowed and reached for his sword. "Miss Rue, kindly stand very still."

She cocked her head to the side, pursing her lips. "Why? I think it's rather cute actually. I mean, once you examine it up close. I have to admit I was frightened at first, but it really is quite sociable. It even hugs. I didn't know animals could do that."

"That is a constrictor, miss Rue. It doesn't so much hug as… constrict. It is trying to strangle you to death," he explained slowly. He had to be careful in his aim. He had no doubt miss Rue was as innocent as they came and so his sword wouldn't cut her, but he had the idea that she wouldn't take kindly to being attacked head-on by a sword.

Her eyes grew bigger and she looked down at the snake in a panic. At this point it had reached her hips, tongue flickering out to taste the air again. Its fat body glistened in the light of the fire and it seemed to be very determined to make a meal out of her. Jack could see miss Rue put one and one together before she arrived at a conclusion she did not like.

"Oh… uhm… very dangerous, are they?" she asked, licking her lips. If she opened her eyes any wider they might just pop out of her head.

"Quite so," he agreed with her.

"Th-th-they eat people often then?" she asked again, teeth chattering. Her knees wobbled together.

He lashed out with his sword, the steel cleaving the air with a whistling sound. Miss Rue screamed, the snake contorted. Then a spotted head rolled over the ground, the forked tongue trailing the dirt. The now limp body rolled from her shoulders, tangling in a heap around her feet. Her blue puffy pants swayed in the breeze as she took a deep breath. "Th-thank you."

With a smile he held out a hand to her. Tentatively stepping over the snake her fingers closed around his. Her eyes met his in a worried frown. He kept the smile on his face. "Miss Rue, please don't worry. You were merely trying your best."

She nodded, following him as he led her around the fire. With a deep sigh she sank to the ground where he took a seat next to her. Her eyes never left the dead snake opposite of them. "The world is a much more complicated place than I imagined. It all seemed so much easier in the logs."

Jack realized he was still holding her hand and let go, instead turning his attention back to their dinner. "Well, I would say so far it is quite successful. You are still alive after all."

"Mostly thanks to you," she said. When he looked at her, their eyes met. The light flickered in intricate shadows on her face, but there was no mistaking it was him she was regarding. "I don't think I would make it out here for a full day without you."

Flustered Jack turned back to the fire, raking up the fire with the first branch he could find. He had been down this road before once, when Aku had taken the form of a woman. He was certain miss Rue was no such creature of darkness but he couldn't allow himself to make the mistake again. "I… eh." What was he supposed to say now that would keep both of them out of an entanglement that was more than just being friends? "Your praise of me is too high, miss Rue."

She shifted next to him, and he was uncomfortably aware of her presence. A chance gust of wind blew the scent of exotic parchment to him. "I don't think anyone could praise you too highly. If there is anyone with even a chance of defeating master Aku, it's you."

"I will defeat Aku," Jack said, grasping for the familiar territory she offered him. "I will defeat him and go back to my own time. That is my solemn promise."

Miss Rue also grabbed a thin branch, poking the fire in much the same manner he was. "I'm really starting to believe you could. I think that's why he fears you so much. I've never even found a mention in the records of people he feared. There are gods that can stand against him, some even living today. But nobody ever came close to killing him."

Jack placed a hand over his sword. "Your records seem so extensive, yet you know almost nothing about the land."

She shook her head. "Our records only deal with all that is Aku, his subjects and his opponents. Everything else… all history… there are no records left. All my people has left from our blood debt to Aku are notes started under his command. He only started to keep records after he had us."

Jack considered this. There was a chance, he decided, no, more than a mere chance, that Aku had falsely produced those documents. From what miss Rue had told him, her people only followed Aku because of the blood debt. If he could somehow prove that their bond to him was a fabricated lie, her people would be free.  
He appreciated her. About that much he was honest. Anything more he attempted to suppress, if only because he had nothing to offer a woman. Nothing but pain, fear and an early widowhood, should the worst come to pass.

"Where did those first records come from?"

She looked up at the sky. "It was… a small town, at the foot of the mountain ranges to the west from here. Master Aku left nothing standing there. It is said he did not want enemies to find anything they could use against us."

"If you wish to become a shaman, perhaps a visit to the origin of your people might be what is necessary to begin your journey."

Rue glanced at him. "What about your own quest?"

He smiled, handing her a portion of roasted monkey. It would seem their breakfast would be grilled snake, so there was no need to hold back on either. "I am chasing rumors. Whether these go east or west makes little difference at the moment."


	7. Looking Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we see a bit of Rue and Jack's past. Also the end of the 'budding friendship arc' and the transition to one of my personal favorites; the Reverse DID arc. It's a blast, I had tons of fun writing that arc.
> 
> Also, I'd like all of you to give Kaukze a really big thank you; they are now my official Beta Reader - yes it needs capitals - part-time muse and just someone who's really good at listening to my rambling about possible plot thingies I want to have. They also made that absolute jaw-dropping art that's below this load of text. Like, hot dang, that is good art. I have it saved as my phone background, that's how much I love it.   
> To put it succinctly : Kaukze is the kind of person I really want good things to happen to, because they deserve good things.
> 
> And well, also thank you to everyone who has commented and to everyone who has thrown a kudos my way. I keep them all under my pillow as I cry tears of pure joy at everyone liking the story.

This was made by Kaukze and it makes me cry (wo)manly tears every day out of sheer joy 

 

|Rue's Past| 

“Where Lord Aku leads, we follow. What he demands, we supply. Our lives are his. Our knowledge under his command. We follow, always,” the group of children pledged in their chilly classroom. Their instructor nodded sagely, before gesturing for them to sit. 

“Very well, acolytes. You know what day today is?” Their breath was visible in front of their face. 

They all nodded, and Rue had to swallow to keep the vomit down. Standardized test day. If they did well they would be allowed to continue their studies. If they failed, a life as a soldier would be the best option. Anything would be better than becoming a test subject. Her memories turned back to their practical biology classes. Everything better than that. 

“Then please memorize your texts. You have fifteen minutes.” 

Rue turned over her paper, finding a detailed history of trading records with a by-gone planet. At once she set to reading, committing everything to heart. It came naturally, but the intent of these tests was to see just how much they could memorize. This was only the first text she would have to reproduce over the course of the day. If she failed to get at least ninety percent correct… no, deep breaths. She read and read, the words burning inside her. She could do this. 

And so she did. Text after text came. Her hand hurt from copying it all out by hand. The room was cold, almost freezing. Slowly her toes and the tips of her fingers became numb. It didn’t matter. If she failed nothing would ever matter again. And so the children continued their test. By the time they were done Rue’s head swam and her fingers were cramped up. 

She hardly slept that night. 

The next morning she repeated her pledge to Aku. Those words were deeply ingrained in every single one of them. No matter how unfit for service someone was, they could always follow. They would follow. 

There were children missing. Four of them. Rue hadn’t known they would remove the others before class. But perhaps that made sense. This way there was no need for a scene, no tears to be shed. Now she knew why her mother had been so placid the evening before. She wondered how the other parents had reacted, about the children who hadn’t made it. 

“You’ve all proven to be of a superior genetic material,” their instructor smiled. The creature was not one of Rue’s kind, no matter how diversified their DNA was by now. Her people had been so interbred over the generations no two looked remotely the same. That Rue looked like that long-extinct human race was purely coincidence. But they all recognized one another nonetheless. It was the eyes. They all held a timeless sheen when seen in the correct light. “The other samples have been disposed of. I’m certain your parents were all extremely pleased.” 

Her little group smiled uncertainly. This was only the first periodic test. Others would follow. Their mental prowess was the main reason they were kept on. They formed a living library for Lord Aku. Every piece of knowledge memorized, available on demand whenever he asked. Many lived and died before Aku had need of them, their knowledge instead given to the following generations. They were the clerics, the brain that kept his reign organized, kept Lord Aku’s gluttony from imploding on itself. From their ranks came a variety of services rendered, but their main purpose was to know. To know so Lord Aku did not have to. 

Other tests would follow. Fertility tests, to determine which ones of them would be most likely to have fruitful offspring with one another. Which ones of them would need to be crossbred with new species. Which ones would spend their lives watching over the children others bore. And among the girls, who would spend their life carrying life after life to supply Aku’s armies with fresh soldiers. 

Psychical tests, to determine who would likely live to an old age and who would die young. It would dictate which area of knowledge they would spend a lifetime tending. 

Psychological examinations. Every sign of betrayal, every speck of mental imbalance would be rooted out. If one failed those tests they would be shipped off to medical facilities where scientists would determine what had gone wrong in genetics. If the disease was considered interesting enough possible siblings were tracked down and experimented on. 

Only failing on the last sort would now spell a painful death. All the other tests would merely decide how her life would be influenced, arranged by others of her kind in a way that would most benefit Lord Aku. 

The instructor turned her eyes on Rue and two other girls standing near her. The white, lidless eyes were one source of nightmares. “Girls, you’ve been selected for a special program. Lord Aku has taken a special interest in you three.” 

They fell on their knees at the mention of the name, the cold flooring sending a jolt through tiny limbs. “We thank Lord Aku for granting us life,” they chorused. 

Years later Rue would come to realize she’d been chosen by Lord Aku’s administrators on that day. That her entire education had been meant to raise her as a possible assassin, or a spy to be sent into enemy camps. That day all she knew was that breathing was hard in such short quick gasps. It was fear, the possibility to be introduced to Lord Aku before she was ready. Her muscles had cramped in anticipation and fear, her hands scraping her knees through the fabric of her rough pants. 

“We follow Lord Aku.” 

And so she did. She sat through examinations and tests, choked down medicine and followed hour after hour of classes. At home she said little, but so did her mother. So did the neighbors. Lord Aku’s face was everywhere. Everyone working at his lair received complimentary cell phones and computers. They had to be able to like Lord Aku’s short messages where he praised pineapple pizza after all. Billboards and posters surrounded her at every moment, her Lord’s voice ringing inside her ear with every second that passed. Merchandise was released and they were expected to acquire at least part of it swiftly. Her bedroom was decorated in black, green and red, her pillow cases menacing eyes, her study books bound in dark leather with red stripes. 

The other girls she’d been transferred with disappeared after a fashion. She didn’t ask questions when the first one went, only shared a look with the remaining girl. When that one disappeared as well, Rue realized she’d never even known their names. Their names hadn’t been important enough to share with her. 

On the day she turned sixteen she was assigned an official number along with her department. She was to spend her life as a living repository for Earth cultures, memorizing maps and customs. Her freely chosen department was ancient lore. Each day she began by sinking on her knees in front of one of the giant Aku statues in the castle, chanting ‘We follow Lord Aku.’ Each day she ended by thanking Lord Aku to have allowed her life for one more day. 

At one point stories about ‘the samurai’ emerged. It started as whispers among the guards. Soon the scientists could be heard muttering the title, driven to exhaustion by Aku’s demands for better, stronger robots. The ones responsible for weapons research, the war recordings and others of their like were called almost weekly for discussions. Rue herself often had to draw on maps where spats had occurred. She spent years, filling in spots on a map where the Samurai had been sighted. Wanted posters appeared everywhere, radio programs broadcasted he should be killed on sight. She retreated into her cubicle, occasionally shouting at the coffee bot. She took up researching basic robot anatomy to get it working better. 

One morning her supervisor came to her as she headed out for a lunch break. “You are expected in a meeting this afternoon, Rue. Our great Lord Aku needs to speak to you about something.” 

She inclined her head, her heart beating a staccato drum. “Understood, sir.” 

“Don’t worry, it’s a group conference. I highly doubt he will speak to you personally.” 

Relief surged through her. “Understood.” And then, in unison, they concluded their conversation. “We follow Lord Aku. From the dawn of time until the universe ends, we serve.” 

|Ancient Japan| 

“One day, my son, you will be the one protecting our people,” the Emperor said, placing a large hand on his son’s shoulder. In a rare moment where the man was not occupied, he had joined his son near one of the ponds. They sat, watching the koi circle around one another in hopes of obtaining food. 

The boy nodded, though the set of his mouth betrayed his doubts. “What if I’m not good at it? What if I don’t do the right things?” 

“I had much the same doubts as you did,” the Emperor confessed, tossing the koi a few grains of rice. The large fish quickly moved in the water, splattering droplets over the two humans at the edge. “But our task in life is to obtain knowledge to make sure others are safe. There is never a guarantee that your people will prosper under your care, but a wise ruler knows when to prepare for these things.” 

The Emperor wrapped his arm around the boy’s shoulder, pulling the child close for a few seconds. “That is what we are teaching you. You will not go into this unprepared. And just like me, you will have your advisers and, Amaterasu be willing, a good wife who will tell you when you are behaving unwisely.” 

“I have never seen you do foolish things, father.” 

“That is because he doesn’t dare to disappoint the two of us,” a gentle voice behind them sounded. The Empress walked near, dressed in one of her simpler robes and lacking jewelry. Tonight was an evening where the two would retreat and simply enjoy each other’s company. 

“If I remember correctly, your parents threatened to move into the palace if I ever dared disappoint you,” the Emperor replied in laughter. “When I vied for your mother’s hand, son, I had to go up against three other suitors. Three! No other woman in our lands had attracted that many men.” When the Emperor looked back at his wife, it was with soft eyes and a smile. “I thank the gods every day for my good fortune.” 

“Oh hush,” she said, but it was clear from her smile that she enjoyed the compliment. “Dinner will be served soon.” 

“We will attend,” the Emperor said. 

The young prince followed. “Father…” he started, thinking back on the discussions he had overheard from the ministers. “What is the correct use of power? Minister Miyaki said that we should be wary of those with too much power.” 

The Emperor considered these words for a few seconds as they walked toward the main building, the pebbles grinding underneath their sandals. “Minister Miyaki is a wise man, but he forgot to add a nuance. Power is like a blade. Of itself, it is harmless because it cannot take action without a hand to guide it. It is the man handling the power who decides if the blade will cut, and how much damage it will do. Power in the hands of a good man who has thought about his actions is seldom to be feared. But power in the hands of a selfish fool is something that will cut deep and hard in the flesh of the people. This is why we teach you, my son.” 

They stopped for a second outside the double doors. The Emperor placed his hands on his son’s shoulders, kneeling on one knee. His slanted eyes were fond but serious. “Remember, my precious child, that you are born to lead. But you have been born to lead others in a way that benefits all, not only yourself. A wise ruler knows how and when to wield his power.” 

“I understand, father.” The boy smiled, shy but also with a hint of confidence. “I will make sure to become a son you can be proud of. I will be a man who leads our people with care for their needs. I promise!” 

“Dinner is waiting to be served,” the Empress intoned from her seat next to the head of the table. 

The Emperor laughed. “That is our cue. You will do well, my son. I am certain of it.” 

|Future| 

Jack opened his eyes at the moment a bird in the tree above him burst into song. As was his habit he peered from underneath his eyelids, scanning the camp for possible danger. The only variation on the sound of the surrounding forest was that of an iron kettle moved on the fire. Looking to the side he saw miss Rue, brushing her long hair behind one ear as she blew gently on the embers of their campfire. When he moved she looked up, the smile on her face shy and half-averted. “Good morning.” 

“Good morning, miss Rue,” he replied, sitting up straighter. To his great pleasure, he was handed a cup of warm water only moments thereafter. “How was your watch?” 

She rummaged through her backpack, pulling out remnants of snake and monkey wrapped in a peculiar kind of foil that kept food fresh for indefinite times. “It was okay, actually. I mean, the owls were really loud sometimes. But animals tend to stay away from the fire, so yes…” she glanced up with a quick smile. “It was okay. Monkey or snake for breakfast?” 

“I believe I would like to have the monkey,” Jack replied. 

Rue reached behind the rocks and pulled out an egg the size of his hand. “I had to take care of some… business this morning, and I found this. It’s edible, I promise! It’s an Ostran egg. They lay their eggs haphazardly in forests, so I didn’t raid any nests. I just found it. And brought it back.” 

The way she rambled proved she was nervous about her find. He accepted the packet of breakfast and said in a reassuring tone, “You did well, miss Rue. I believe you’ve been picking up quite a bit from my humble lessons.” His words resulted in a deep blush covering her cheeks and ears as she practically hid her face in her own snake breakfast. 

“Thank you,” she mumbled, hardly audible. When he asked about their future route she became a bit more animated, having ventured into an area of conversation that she felt far more certain about. Early on he had come to the discovery his shy traveling companion had learned a number of maps by heart, though most did not contain much detail. As long as he was able to point out north and south to her she was able of saying where they were in relation to which areas. “If we keep going north-east we should eventually come to one of the main traffic cities. From there we can take a train to anywhere on the mainland.” 

They finished their breakfast, Jack enjoying a cup of tea while miss Rue preferred lukewarm water over the unaccustomed bitterness. She’d politely tried a sip once before quickly shoving the remainder in his hands. “As long as you wish to see if the mirror had a point about you, I have no qualms about traveling in that direction.” 

Miss Rue nodded, cocking her head slightly to the side. By now he’d come to recognize that particular gesture as a strange way of expressing gratitude, even though she hardly ever spoke while doing it. The sunlight caught her eyes, making them glint amethyst. Startled she blinked and straightened, frowning as she looked up at the canopy. “Well, shall we go then?” she asked, packing the kettle back in her backpack. 

He rose, taking a moment to brush the leaves from his gi before helping miss Rue to her feet. She grabbed his hand with both of hers, moving with him to rise from the ground. For a moment she swayed toward him before catching her balance and tilting back again. The instinctive grin she flashed him in that moment was slightly disconcerting; it brought back memories of Aku when he posed as Ikra. But she had no such memories, instead setting busily to brushing the dirt of her clear blue pants and the back of her cream shirt. Her hair, flowy and catching the first light morning breeze, bounced and fluttered around her as she moved. When Jack recovered her senses she gestured to the deer track they’d be following that day. “Well, lead on then, sir samurai.” 

Jack adjusted his sword and glanced at the track in front of him. Looking at miss Rue with a smile he remembered another lesson his father had once thought him, not too long before Aku had arisen from his slumber. “Actually, a road is often best walked with a friend, side by side.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, if any of you were to want to do something fan arty - drawing, making a playlist, throwing a great filler chapter idea my way - please, please don't hold back. Because if you make something and let me know, I can show other people here who can appreciate it too.
> 
> Also, I keep Rue's psychical description vague so you all can have fun imagining what she looks like. I love Kaukze's image of her - drop dead gorgeous, am I right? - but if you picture her differently, that's okay! You just have fun and enjoy your day.


	8. Hero In Distress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I love my Reverse DID arc, it's so much fun. Thanks again to Kaukze for putting up with my bad commas and tendencies to derail this fic into a crackfest. You have no idea what they have to put up with.
> 
> I really liked the last Jack episode by the way, the boy needs some social contact at this point. That it's a raging assassin is something he has to deal with for now. (I just want them to be like siblings or sth, or a dad/daughter vibe) If you have thoughts about the last episode, let me know in the comments, contact me on Tumblr (moonsenvoy) or heck, tweet me @ReaderMaru .
> 
> In conclusion, your comments give me life and energy, your kudos water my crops.

Rue had been on watch when it happened. Someone had grabbed her from behind, binding something around her throat while others grabbed her arms. A third person sprinkled a powder in the air. She guessed that was why Jack didn’t spring to attention. She opened her mouth, trying to shout. Instead, she only managed to make a soft shrieking noise, before inhaling the powder. The lack of oxygen made her vision blacken, while the powder whispered to her to just take it easy. 

When she regained consciousness, she remained still. Odds were she was in a dungeon, or about to get sliced up as a delicious meal for ogres. She kept her breathing even and eyes lightly shut, as Jack had instructed her to do in this kind of situation. She listened intently for sounds, voices or cooking implements. Instead, she heard the rustling of trees and birds bursting out in jubilant songs. Daringly she opened her eyes to a slit, peering out to check her environment. 

The fire had gone out while she was out cold. Which meant she was still in the forest. Now that was puzzling and went against every bit of knowledge she possessed. Slowly she raised herself, glancing left and right. The signs of her struggle were visible but there was no trace of Jack. Had he gone after their assailants? 

Not without a sword he hadn’t. His katana lay next to the tree he had rested against, the noon sun glinting off the bits of gold in its sheath. Jack _NEVER_ went anywhere without his sword. He’d sooner part with his hand. Added to that was his kimono, laying so rumpled she could see the samurai scowl in her mind. Rue was still a long road away from anything resembling physical skills, but mental gymnastics were her specialty. She put one and one together and arrived at a conclusion she did not like in the slightest. 

They had come for Jack, but they didn’t work for Aku. Aku would have wanted the sword and the man. And a naked Jack probably wasn’t that high on his priority list. Which meant this was someone else. Rue swallowed and flinched at the pain. The strangling of yesterday had certainly left its marks. Standing up was remarkably easy. With unexpected lucidity, she planned everything she would need. They traveled lightly, but she still discarded everything that would be unnecessary weight. Travel would need to be fast. She picked up everything from the campsite, stashing the things she wouldn’t take in a hollow log nearby. Perhaps a traveler would have some use from it. 

She stopped in front of the sword. The kimono was already folded neatly in her pack. Doing that had been easy. But the sword… she’d never touched the sword before. Jack was very protective of it and never lost it out of his sight. Almost reverently she knelt down on the moss, hand hovering above the hilt. She imagined a heat radiating from it. 

Instead, she wrapped both her hands around the sheath, lifting it up from its resting place. It was too long for her to carry comfortably at the hip like Jack did. After some puzzling, she managed to arrange it so that it rested between her back and backpack. The sword tapped against her ass irritatingly with every movement, but it was do-able. She thought of it as a reminder that somewhere, Jack was wondering where the sword was. 

A quick search around the campsite showed footsteps leading away from the scene of the crime. The kidnappers had taken no safety precautions whatsoever. She was thankful for that. Tracking was Jack’s area of expertise. She straightened her back, looking ahead at the trail. 

The first step she took was hesitant. The second one went smoother. After five steps she’d reached the kind of gait the samurai had when hot on a trail. Only when evening fell would she realize she hadn’t once considered leaving him to his fate. 

————————————————— 

Jack awoke with the kind of taste in his mouth that suggested a heavy night of drinking. Considering he hardly ever indulged, the second option was that someone had drugged him. The way his head swam supported his theory. Miss Rue would certainly be proud of him for quick thinking. 

He peered from between his eyelids. He was in a cage in the middle of a luxurious bedroom. Expensive furs and jewelry were carelessly thrown around, glinting in the sunlight that poured in from the balcony. Dresses poured from an opened closet in every shade of silver imaginable. On a table not too far from the cage rested a bottle of wine and two glasses. Slowly he raised himself on one arm, noting the absence of his kimono. 

“Awake at last. How do you feel?” a melodious voice asked him. 

He turned around, coming face to face with a woman who was the very epitome of elegance. Her dark curls were draped in such a way her slender neck was accentuated. Her fine, straight nose and plump lips suggested a breeding so noble not even pedigree hounds would stand a chance. And the look in her gray eyes was calculating and appreciating. It put him off at once, causing him to pull up all defenses he had. 

“Where is- where am I?” he asked, stopping himself. If miss Rue wasn’t here, perhaps she had escaped. Though chances were greater they had her locked up somewhere else. 

The woman stood up from her seat in front of the vanity. A delicate crown glistened silver in her dark curls. “You are in my castle, Luné. I reign here, and you were brought to me on my request.” She came closer, leaning over to observe him better. She did maintain a safe distance from the cage. “But you will do nicely, prince. I’ve been looking for a worthy lover for a long time.” 

“What?” 

Her smile never did quite reach her eyes. “Nobody but you could be worthy of me, prince Jack. Though that is a horrid name. We shall see to rectifying that once I pick out a better one. But what is in a name? It’s lacklusterness at least does not diminish your presence. Though the scars are rather… off-putting. ” 

“Perhaps it would be best if you let me go,” Jack suggested slowly. 

The woman shook her head slowly. “Don’t you find me attractive, prince?” He didn’t like the emphasis she put on the question. “Don’t I make your blood boil in your veins?” When he didn’t reply she stood up. “Is the drug not working yet?” 

So he had been drugged. “I feel nothing.” 

She pouted. “You will, soon enough. As soon as you find something attractive about me, you will beg to serve me. And I have uses for you, my prince. You will scream the name of Selene every day and night. You will… protect me. Serve me. Honor me. Marry me. Be ruled by me.” 

She counted the uses she had for him on her fingers with a dreamy smile. She looked up from her fingers and at him. “So just hurry up and fall in love with me.” 

——————————————————————— 

After the first day, the muscles in her thigh cramped. Rue blamed it from having to sleep without a fire; Jack was the one who knew how to start one. Though she knew what it looked like when he did it, her attempts had left her with a bruised finger and several cuts. After the second day, her calves protested against her stubborn march. After the third day, she was convinced her feet would fall off. 

When she caught sight of the village she had been relieved at first. Then she realized that the solitary track that had led her there would be lost among the hundreds of other tracks. Her walking slowed as if that way she could force the track to bend away from the small collection of houses. But no, the deep tracks of horse hooves continued straight into the heart of it. 

She entered the town, aware that people looked at the stranger with a sword strapped to her back. Out of habit, she strolled straight toward the first place that looked like it might have lodgings, ignoring the stares. Halfway there she realized the innkeeper or bartender might be able to tell her more. 

The bar was filled to the brim with a clientele that did little to improve the general bouquet. Rue kept a straight face, walking to the bar with a determined stroll. She ignored the fact that everyone seemed to tower over her along with the sudden catcalls. Once she reached the barkeep she plunked her arms down, determined to not notice the pools of dried up liquor and blood staining the counter. 

“Can I help ya?” the barkeeper asked her, moving a matchstick in his mouth. 

“I’m looking for someone,” she answered, keeping her voice even. She could do this, she reminded herself. “Tall, quite handsome, muscular… doesn’t look like he’s from around here. Oh, and probably held captive. Ring a bell?” 

The barkeeper slid his eyes from her face to the round collar of her shirt. “Depends… I might remember something. If only I had some incentive.” 

Jack never had this sort of problem. Of course Jack was muscular, tall and generally exuded an air of understated menace when he came to this sort of problem. In Rue’s case, people mostly noted she barely managed to put one foot in front of the other. She took a deep breath. “Do you take plastic?” 

“I do. But it’ll cost ya.” 

“Name your price,” she countered. She still had the account number Aku had assigned as a fund for all of his minions on a mission. She doubted the barkeep would see a tenth of the money within his lifetime. Aku saw ending the life of his creditors as a better way of doing business. Not that they would know that in a town the size of a kidney bean. 

“I’ll tell ye everything ye need to know girl,” a voice behind her interrupted. “Just as soon as you have a heart to heart with my little friend.” 

Rue spun around, reaching for the hilt of the katana over her shoulder. She didn’t know how to use it, but her opponent didn’t know that. And if he tried something… well… at least she would do some damage. “I think not.” 

The man who had spoken was roughly built like a small mountain. He advanced on her with what she supposed was to be a debonair smile. “Kitten has claws. Someone steal your boyfriend, kitten?” 

She tightened her grip around the katana. Surprised she realized the hilt was warm, almost as if Jack had held it only seconds before her. Slowly she pulled it out of the sheath, the ring of cold star steel silencing everyone in the bar. The weight was heavy and light at the same time. And it felt very much alive. “Back. Off.” 

“I’m shaking in my boots,” the mountain spoke, placing his hand on the gun at his hip. 

The sword rushed forward, taking Rue with it. For a moment she thought she felt frustration flowing from the hilt at her clumsy feet before it halted in front of her would be assailant. With pinpoint precision it stopped at his adam's apple, denting the skin. “You should,” she agreed with him, feeling rather shaky herself. She’d forgotten that the sword was magic. Its wielder certainly was formidable enough on his own. “Now…” she licked her lips, spreading her feet wider at an unheard instruction. “I believed I asked a question. Where is my friend?” 

——————————————————————— 

Jack held his eyes closed, palms on his knees. He took deep, easy breaths. Meditation was the only thing that kept him sane in his prison. Every breath brought the waft of orchids, roses or violets in such concentrations it threatened to choke him. But if he closed his eyes he would undoubtedly be confronted with a half-naked Selene again. He had attempted to explain to her that he felt no desire to be her anything. It had only made her increase her efforts. Every day she pointed out aspects about her that were lovable. Every day he asserted he was not interested. 

The one thing he busied himself with when he was alone was devising a way to get out of the cage. So far he’d only proved that he was not capable of bending the bars, nor slipping between them. The cage was even too heavy for him to simply tilt to the side. Selene was happy with his efforts because they showed tenacity. That she rewarded him with food, drink and heavy doses of the drug made him feel more powerless than ever. 

“Look at me, prince,” she murmured from her vanity chair. 

An idea popped into his head. It was worth a shot anyway. “I will open my eyes when you bring miss Rue to me.” 

“Rue? Who’s that?” 

He almost opened his eyes. Instead, he squeezed them shut. “The woman who was with me in the woods. My companion.” 

Selene huffed at the words. “We don’t have her here. My men had orders to bring only you.” She paused and Jack heard the rustle of clothing. Considering Selene hadn’t been wearing anything that could rustle, that must mean she had put something on. “If you promise to stop keeping your eyes closed every second of the day, I’ll ask them what they did to her.” 

Jack considered the notion, then opened his eyes. “Please do so.” 

Selene smiled and hurried to the door. It slammed shut behind her, leaving him alone. He was most often alone here. No matter how she treated him, Selene actually seemed intent on ruling her country. It took a long while for her to come back.   
She had had no interest in miss Rue. In fact, she hadn’t even known his friend existed. Which meant they most likely had never brought his friend here. Jack suspected that Selene would make short work of anyone who could make a potential claim on a small portion of his attention. The thought was not so much flattering as it was blood-curdling. 

Which meant she was still out there somewhere. Jack found himself worrying about the woman. She wasn’t the type to survive for long in the wilderness. He hoped she’d found a safe haven, perhaps a family who would offer her shelter. If she did go looking for him, what were the chances she would find him? He found himself wishing she would stay away from this place. It would only serve to get her killed. 

“Prince, I’m back,” Selene purred when she came through the door. “I’m terribly sorry to tell you, but my guards made a teensy mistake when they brought you here. You see, they thought your friend might be dangerous.” The smile on her face was anything but sorry. Instead, she looked like a cat that had come upon a barrel of unguarded cream.   
“So instead of risking that she would come here, they slit her throat.” 

There was a strange shift of emotion in his gut. Somehow the hope of miss Rue being alive had sheltered in his mind, supporting him through this entire ordeal. Her death vacated a place in his hopes he hadn’t known she had claimed for herself. 

“Or they choked her or something. They don’t seem to think she’s alive. I really am very sorry to have to tell you this.” 

And they probably had not even bothered with a proper burial. Innocent miss Rue, who was now left to decay somewhere underneath a cold, uncaring sky. He should have stopped her from coming with him. Selene’s men had been after him and Rue had become a victim of it. It didn’t matter that neither of them had known those men would be coming. There was nothing she could have done to fight them. He stared at the bars of his cage, looking straight through Selene. 

The woman scarcely noticed. “Oh, I agree it’s sad to have a life ended so abruptly. But life goes on, my prince. Don’t fret about it too much. Instead, help me pick out a new dress for this evening ball. If you’d like you could accompany me there.” 

Become a shaman, he had suggested. Now he knew the suggestion had indeed been something more for his benefit than hers. He had wanted someone to accompany him. Someone who would know him beyond the fleeting encounters in this world infested by evil. Someone who cared for him as a person, not as a symbol of resistance. 

“No? Well, there’s another ball tomorrow. I should know, I organize them.” The queen continued in a breezy tone of voice. 

He would escape, he decided. He would escape and find her body. Bury her and then seek out her mother, no matter where the woman might live, to apologize for his role in that most unwanted death. His quest would have to wait. Why had he listened to that damned water mirror? Why had he latched on to the hope that perhaps death did not cling to his side like a specter? 

“Good night then, my prince. See you in the morning. Perhaps you’ll be in a more agreeable mood.” 

Selene flicked out the lights behind her. The starlight barely managed to touch the room, illuminating shadows, and half-forms. Jack slowly lowered his face to his hands, hiding bitter tears from even the sky. What a fool he had been, risking a life simply because he had been lonely. His broken whisper barely breached the silence. “Rue.”


	9. The Prince in His Tower

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I just saw the last episode! Scotsman and his daughters are so playing into the plot I was planning, thank you Adult Swim! Also, Ashi is now officially Jack's daughter, it is law.
> 
> Anyway, Kaukze was amazing in helping to write this chapter. She forced me to write some things out a bit more, which elevates the whole story. They're also super busy in the coming few weeks, so send them good vibes for me <3
> 
> And gosh, your reviews <3 They're so amazing! They make me happy! They get me motivated! It's amazing, and you're all really helping me in continuing the story.  
> For those wondering/ fearing there will be smut, the answer is yes, BUT this is also a slow burn. And if there is going to be smut, I will make sure to warn you ahead of time so you can skip a chapter if you're not interested in reading that sort of thing. So have no fears ^^

Rue did not like the sword. It had always seemed so inanimate when it was in Jack’s hand. No, that wasn’t correct. It had seemed like a natural extension of his hand. With Rue the sword was bossy and didn’t take no for an answer. When the guy built like a mountain hadn’t immediately replied, the sword pressed forward. As the man swallowed, the blade threatened to cut through skin. It was with a ring of rising panic that Rue had spoken. “I really suggest you tell me where I can find my friend.”

The man glanced down at the sword. His stubble reflected in the sword’s metal. “I don’t know about your friend.”

The sword pulled away from her hand and Rue was jerked after it, feet shuffling across the floor. “I really, really suggest you tell me where he is. In your own interest.”

The man’s hand reached for his belt. Jack’s sword followed suite, cutting through leather and fabric, ripping the belt and the gun attached to it out of the man’s reach. As it returned to point at the man’s throat Rue freed one hand to rub her shoulder; the sword had moved so abruptly she’d almost dislocated her shoulder. “Someone here knows and I suggest they start talking, now,” she intoned, fearing the sword might get more violent.

“I saw some knights riding through town. They had an odd-looking feller with them, long black hair and buck-naked from what I saw,” someone shouted from behind her.

“Where were they going?” Rue asked through gritted teeth, hoping the sword wouldn’t make another abrupt movement. Her anxiety made her seem tougher than she was, since the man in front of her paled to the approximate color of a freshly laundered sheet.

“Queen Selene’s castle! It’s called Luné, it’s a long while off, there’s signposts along the way!” Mountain man rattled the information off, obviously desperate to get her off his case. At least there was one thing a panicked, near-insane look did for her. She practically ran out of the bar, the sword pulsing in her hand. Stopping on the other side of the square, she glared at the blade. It was going to be a long while to play catch-up to Jack.

——————-

The cart Rue had shared with two sheep and a piglet rattled and shook, making her teeth chatter like maracas. The animals constantly shifted spots, occasionally making enough noise to raise the dead. Her behind was sore from the constant shaking and she was sure her stomach had been places inside her body it had never been meant to be. But it had moved faster than on foot, and Rue had gladly put up with it just for that. At least until the wheel broke down. 

As the farmer had set to repair his cart he’d mentioned that Jack’s kidnappers had probably ridden horses. That had given Rue an idea, albeit one she didn’t necessarily love. She’d continued her walk along the road, though by now it was more a hobble. In the middle of the night, she’d reached a farm.

Out in the yard she had taken the sword from the scabbard hanging on her back. “Look, I’ve guessed you want Jack back. I’m working on it. So this time, how about we leave the threatening aside and let me handle it?”

After having received what she assumed was assent, she had started banging on the door until someone opened up. Too tired to care she’d been undaunted by the shotgun pointed at her face, immediately saying she wanted to buy a horse. When the farmer had balked his animals weren’t for sale, she’d named a number that sent his eyes nearly flying out of his skull. In combination with threatening that perhaps her master would visit his farm, it had earned her a spirited white stallion. She would have preferred the old rickety mare next to it, but no amount of begging could change the farmer’s mind. In the end, Rue praised herself lucky she’d gotten the stallion. 

Riding the horse had proven to be a problem in itself, but Rue had gritted her teeth. She was certain the horse liked the experience about as much as she did, if not less. But she’d taken the farmers advice to heart and didn’t force the animal, no matter how hurried she felt. After every spirited sprint, she stepped off, walking the horse to let it recover. During those walks she held the sword in her hand, praying the animal wouldn’t nuzzle her neck so often. She thought it only a small step upwards from the snake she’d picked up only weeks earlier. 

The sword seemed to be as much a guide as the directions she’d received. Castle Luné, they’d told her, where queen Selene was looking desperately for a husband who matched her appearance and social status. A hobby like any other, Rue supposed, but she should have left Jack out of it. The sword seemed to share her indignation about it, pulsating in her hand. It explained a few things about how both Jack and Aku regarded the blade. She’d be terrified about a magic sword out to get her as well. At that, the sword seemed to almost pulsate calmingly as if to assure her it did not wholly dislike her. 

The horse tolerated her, though she was still frightened to death when she rode it. If only it hadn’t been so high. As a consequence, she arrived at the castle almost three weeks after she and Jack had been separated, feeling sore and motion sick at the same time. Along the way, she’d heard about the magic potion Selene possessed. When the target found anything they admired about the first person they saw, they’d do anything that person desired. Rue wondered if she would have to fight Jack to get him back. And she wondered why she just didn’t turn the horse around to report to Aku. Her master would break ribs in his laughter about the samurai’s fate. The sword never responded to those thoughts but seemed to wait for her to make a final decision.

She noted the questioning feeling during a trot, just before she came in sight of the castle. 

“I don’t know. I don’t even know why I’m going after Jack. Let’s be honest, I’m as useful as a wet rag in this situation.” Perhaps she was finally snapping under the pressure, seeing how she’d just talked out loud to a sword. Madness would certainly explain her current actions. 

Then she noticed the castle and broke out in a final gallop, putting the sword back in the sheath on her back. The horse moved swiftly underneath her and Rue found that as long as she didn’t look straight down, the riding didn’t make her want to puke. A chariot drove past her, going the other direction. She heard drunken laughter coming from it. Then she reached an intersection, where another rider gently approached. 

The man looked her up and down, and did not seem able to decide what she was. “Entertainment?” he finally ventured, clicking his tongue at the horse beneath him. 

“Eh… yeah,” Rue answered, taking in his motley garb and fur cloak. 

“First-timer?” the man asked again. 

She decided to go along. “How’d you know?” 

With a quick little flourish, he waved his cloak, bowing in the saddle. Rue managed a small nod in return, triumphant that her teeth did not sever her tongue in the movement. The man’s golden teeth flashed in the sunlight as his potbelly gently coursed up and down in the gait of his horse. “Oh, you have that air. You know, the one that screams ‘I have no idea what I am doing or why I am here’?” 

Rue smiled grimly. “Oh, you have no idea.” Turn around and inform Lord Aku? Keep going and get killed trying to save the samurai? Crumple up in a ditch and cry? That last option seemed to be the one she’d be most successful at. 

“But I do lass, I do. We all start there once. I’ll tell you what, I introduce you as my assistant and you’ll have an air of savoir-faire for your first evening. And in return… well, after you clean up from your clients, you can look after old Raps here.” 

A cold trickle ran down her back when Rue realized he was implying she was a prostitute. She almost stopped her horse in disgust before realizing that this might be her best chance to get inside. She forced a smile on her face, certain she was redder than a tomato. “Deal.” 

Raps extended his hand to her. She shook it quickly, before holding on to the reins again. “I do hope you have another outfit in that pack of yours, my dear. Because that look says ‘desk job and not putting out’ in big letters. Wouldn’t do during queen Selene’s nuptials.” 

Rue didn’t have the faintest idea about how this conversation should go but nodded anyway. She’d started to lie already, she might as well keep it up. “Nuptials? I heard sir sa- that the samurai hadn’t given in to her yet.” 

Raps shrugged as they rode up the bridge to the castle. “Me thinks the lady is tired of waiting. Who can blame her? I hear our man out of time has quite the appeal for ladies young and old.”  
Wonderful. Just wonderful. Now she didn’t just have to save Jack, she had to get him out of a wedding. 

—————— 

“Isn’t this just darling? You’ll look so handsome in this, Charles,” Selene cooed as she gently patted the sleeves of the tuxedo she’d ordered for him. ‘Charles’ was the name she’d decided to be more fitting of him than ‘Jack’. He’d given up trying to talk sense into her. He would sooner convince a rock to sprout legs and run backwards through time. 

At the door one of Selene’s guards stood, carrying a gun in that careless way that meant he would use it at the slightest provocation. It hadn’t deterred Jack from devising several escape plans. Though all of it would depend on him not getting shot in the first place. 

Selene stood near the bars of his cell, pouting so her lips formed a perfect heart shape. “Oh Charles, after we’re married you’ll understand this is what you want too. I don’t understand why you haven’t fallen to the drug by now. One genuinely nice thought is all it takes.” 

And there lay her problem. Jack had been violently resisting every thought that could stray into the nice territory. Instead, he kept his mind empty, save for frustration and sadness. He retreated to that quiet spot in his mind when she once again started to list all the things he could think attractive in her. Selene stepped back and forth in front of his cage before she stopped and bent forward again. “If you want I can get you a nice pet after you love me. Something like that Liu person you mentioned, perhaps?” 

“Miss Arkham will be kept out of this,” Jack immediately said. He was glad she’d forgotten Rue’s name as easily as she’d replaced his. 

“Oh, as you wish. Now, we still have a few hours left until the ceremony, so I’m just going to pop downstairs really quickly to accept my congratulations. Once I’m properly dressed we can do this. Oh, I’m so excited! Finally, I’ll be an honest woman!” Selene clapped her hands as if this all was some kind of game. For all Jack knew it really was in her eyes.  
In a few hours, he’d escape, or die trying. He’d wasted enough time here already. 

——————————— 

Rue looked around the huge courtyard. Whoever had called this a castle needed a dictionary; it more resembled a palace from an era where kings had names like ‘Sun king’. She insisted on seeing to her horse herself instead of leaving it to the stable boys. They let her and she placed her white stallion close to the exit, which seemed an unpopular place among the other entertainers that arrived. Rue ignored most of them, only paying Raps the minimum of attention. When she had a few minutes to herself she found a ladder and hid Jack’s sword and her backpack in the rafters. Taking it with her would attract too much attention. Even so, leaving the sword didn’t exactly sit well with her. 

“Get changed girl, luck is with the quick!” Raps told her before he continued listing her many talents to his audience. Rue hadn’t even known half of those positions were attainable for an average person. She sincerely hoped she wouldn’t have to do any such thing this evening. 

She scurried off to a dressing room, before being ushered to a communal washing chamber. Keeping her eyes strictly at chest level - apparently, artists saw little use in separate bathing - she took the fastest bath of her life. When she came back a serving girl informed her that her clothes had been taken to the washing room. Gnashing her teeth she stomped her feet, before noting a bunch of laundry drying on lines outside. Judging from the clashing colors and sequins those belonged to the artists. 

She walked past the laundry lines in her towel, pretending she urgently needed to use the bathroom. The multitude of catcalls that followed her led her to believe that all men were pigs. On her way she surreptitiously yanked a glittering red top and dark red, see-through harem pants from the line. Judging from the fashion she’d seen so far, bright colors would actually help her to blend in here. 

Fervently hoping she wouldn’t run into the original owner of the clothes she tied her hair in a high ponytail. The top left her stomach bare and the pants hardly deserved to be termed as such. But when she went back to the dressing room she blended in, which had been the intention. She very much wanted her usual clothes back. 

The moment she set foot inside she heard Raps calling for her. Not feeling like being presented as a horse for sale she pretended to be oblivious to his voice, and walked back to the courtyard. From there she stalked to the front door. When she noted the guests casting weird looks at her she tried to imitate the other women dressed like her. Swaying her hips she moved to the entrance, feeling as if this way of walking would dislocate a hip sooner or later. Jack had better appreciate all the trouble she went through for him. She gave the nagging voice asking ‘why’ in her head the exact amount of attention she gave the men shouting for her services. 

Somewhere between the front door and the entrance to the grand hall she lost her nerves. Although that wasn’t exactly true. She felt them disintegrate into tiny molecules before the perfumed wind blew them away. She had never been surrounded by this many people before. They were drinking, shouting, laughing and singing out loud. The only thing that made this different from a rundown junkie bar was the overall scent. Instead of vomit mixed with alcohol and rank sweat, the air reeked of perfume mixed with alcohol and rank sweat. 

She flinched when someone touched her hip. Turning around she saw a young woman with blond hair. Her green eyes sparkled as she fluttered her eyelashes. “You’re Raps first-timer, aren’t you?” Before Rue had nodded the woman continued. “I’m Foxy. Don’t worry too much. You’ll do fine.” 

“I will?” Rue asked, trying to remember that breathing was a part of survival. 

Foxy glanced over her figure with appreciation. “Oh, you will honey. Just make sure to charge them by the hour, and not per trick. That’s only for when we get past our prime.” 

Rue laughed nervously along with Foxy. Meanwhile, she thought she felt all her courage just leave her body, dripping on the ground. She froze again when Foxy slyly ran her fingers by her cheek. “You’re so bold, not wearing your make-up after your bath. I know a few Johns who’d pay a lot for a girl with confidence. If you’ll join me, I’ll split the cash with you.” 

Rue only managed a weak smile. When Foxy moved away - presumably to find one of those Johns - Rue went the opposite direction as quickly as she could. With a deep breath, she reminded herself that Aku had sent her after Jack because she hadn’t been visibly intimidated by Aku, but also because she hadn’t done anything stupid. Her own memories told her she’d been scared witless and frozen in place. But she’d come this far. Only a bit further. All she had to do was find Jack. If she could stand in front of her Lord without screeching, she could get through this castle.  
Where would she keep someone she’d taken captive? The question yielded nothing because Rue would just as soon capture someone as she would establish world peace. Instead, she changed the question. Where would master Aku keep Jack if he finally had him? 

As close to him as possible. 

Which meant private chambers. Private meant away from the grand hall. Immediately she went into one of the other doors, landing in a ballroom which connected to the grand entrance she had just bypassed. Rue froze in place, observing the room. Artists tumbled on tables while serving girls weaved through the crowds with food platters. People were laughing raucously, exchanging witty banter as they helped themselves to poached quail eggs and tips of Snoail tails, the latter a delicacy often illegally imported from far off planets.  
Rich tapestries adorned the walls, most depicting the moon in one landscape or another. A few were woven in the image of previous rulers, most of them wearing a crown which repeated the patterns on the tapestries. The floor was made of a silvery gray marble, large slabs worn smooth through the ages. Everything about this place screamed money.

A man slapped her ass in passing, breaking her observations and eliciting a sudden scream from her. Before anything else could happen she practically spurted through an opening in the crowd. And bumped into the most elegant woman she had ever seen. Her dark black curls framed her face so perfectly she almost seemed a statue. The price of her gown of rumpled silver silk could easily have made a dent in Aku’s bank account. Rue immediately dropped into a curtsy so deep it was almost kneeling on the ground when she saw the crown. Instincts took over, years of drilling social niceties bursting to the surface. “Apologies, austere mistress.” 

Her appellation immediately softened the sneer that had spelled doom and disaster. “What did you call me?” 

“… austere mistress. Does that displease you, grand mistress of Luné and beyond?” It was too much by far, but Rue had decided that she might as well lay it on thick. 

The queen started to fan herself. “No. No, it doesn’t. How refreshing to meet a plebeian who knows how to address royalty. Now be off with you.” 

Rue ducked her head, hoping the queen would accept it as a deeper bow. She feared she would crash through her knees if she had to actually go lower. As she turned around she overheard part of their conversation. 

“Does the prince still sulk in his tower?”  
“He will accept his fate soon enough. What man would not embrace fortune when it threw itself at him?” 

Through the adrenaline coursing through her veins, Rue realized that up was the way to go. Perhaps she didn’t need courage to get through this. Perhaps a crazy amount of terror worked just as well. She froze when a sultry voice called out after her. 

“Oh, red one?” 

She turned and went into a curtsy again. It became easier and easier every single time. “Yes, radiant one?” 

“I wish to speak to you after I have been joined with my husband. I could use someone who speaks the truth as well as you do.” 

Rue nodded, hoping the queen would interpret the deep red on her cheeks as an expression of pure gratitude, and not of the deep anger and humiliation she really felt. “Of course, queen of all.” 

———————————————— 

Jack didn’t open his eyes when the door opened, nor did he look up when it closed again. The shaky, nervous sigh that reached his ears did pique his interest. Soft leather shoes slapped against the ground before he heard them tripping. Now that did bring back painful memories of an exceedingly clumsy cleric. Probably an errand boy being clumsy. Selene trusted no chambermaid as long as he was not bound to her. 

“Oh Jack, you have no idea how happy I am to see you.” 

With a jolt, he opened his eyes. Standing in front of the cage, hands wrapped around the bars, Rue stood, looking at him with pure relief. Her hair had escaped the long ponytail, falling over her forehead and peaking up near her ears. She looked flushed and shocked, her face as red as the top she wore. There were red scratches on one of her hands and dark circles under her eyes.  
She was the loveliest sight he could have asked for. And she’d just called him Jack. 

“Miss Rue?” he asked, standing up slowly. 

Her eyes quickly scanned his body, and suddenly he was very aware of the fundoshi he wore. “She didn’t hurt you. That’s good. Where is the key?” 

“Underneath her pillow,” he told her. She immediately ran to the bed, throwing the pillows away in a hurry. Jack became pressingly aware of something important. But Rue’s presence had chased those worries away like the sun did with snow. In fact, he suddenly knew with a certainty nothing could be more important than Rue and her continued safety and happiness. 

She opened the door of his cell, looking as if any moment she could faint. He stepped toward her, taking her soft hands in his. “We have to hurry, I don’t know when she’ll be back.” 

“Are you hurt?” he asked her, wiping away a lock of hair. The relief of seeing her alive had been swept away by the need to simply… do everything for her. 

Rue shook her head. “No, no, I’m fine. We need to find you some clothes and get out of-” 

His hands brushed by her jaw, trailing to the back of her neck as he brought her face closer to him. All Jack needed to do was lean forward slightly, breathing in a scent of fresh soap and obvious panic. His lips closed over hers. Somewhere in his head, a thought buzzed that he shouldn’t kiss her, but then the dominant part of his brain shut it down. Rue was here, and he would keep his mistress safe.


	10. Rue Saves the Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rue saves Jack, argues with a sword and a queen and ends up being ever more conflicted about her own feelings in her quest.
> 
> I hope you guys are enjoying this arc as much as I'm writing it. But the story passed a 100 kudos! So I'm guessing you all are pleased about it!  
> I'd like to thank all of you for your support, your super friendly messages and kudos. If you have questions, remarks or simply want to wish me a nice day, feel free to let me know <3 (No seriously, this amount of support is how fanfiction gets written everyone, thank you!)
> 
> As always, my eternal thanks to Kaukze. I had to do some last-minute additions to this chapter, so any mistakes are completely my own and I am sorry for those. Proofreaders are important and we should all love them very much <3

Rue had a few basic ideas about rescues. Most of these ideas came from the fairy tales and legends Jack told her. Now she’d already guessed they were in a bit of a role reversal, but she hadn’t counted on the full experience so to speak. She had counted on a fair bit of surprise from his part out, some due explanations regarding wardrobe and maybe a squeeze of her shoulder. 

Not that she was entirely ungrateful about the event. From what she could guess, he was quite good at the whole kissing thing. In fact, it made certain parts of her conscious being sizzle and spark. When one hand cradled the back of her neck and pulled her closer, the little sizzles and sparks let her know that a sound, for example, a moan, would be good to make. What it did for her unconscious being she would find out when she had the chance to dream. 

Despite the novelty and indisputable niceness of the kiss, the reality of their situation began to dawn on her. She gently pried one of her hands loose and tapped his chest. A pang of disappointment still went through her as he released her. “We need to run. Uhm… can you put on some clothes?” 

“I don’t have my gi,” he pointed out. After he saw the look on her face he gestured to the bed by rolling his broad shoulder vaguely in that direction. “There is, however, an outfit available for me. Would that be acceptable for you?” 

Rue blinked, unsure why he was asking her permission. “Uh, yeah. Please do.” 

She turned her back to him to give him some privacy, even if there was little more for her to see. She shuffled her feet on the floor awkwardly. What was it that people usually talked about after a kiss? Was the weather a viable option? Why had he kissed her? That was very out of character, but somehow she couldn’t find the words to bring it up. After all, it had been a very nice kiss. 

“I am ready,” he announced. Rue turned around and barely managed to contain herself. Jack struck a handsome figure in his usual outfit, but somehow the tux brought out his broad shoulders and thin waist to their full advantage. She especially liked the red tie. Mentally she reproached herself. It had been just a kiss. She shouldn’t be losing her cool over something like that. Jack cocked his head to the side, observing her speechlessness. “Is something wrong, mistress?” 

Mistress?! Then she suddenly remembered that the queen had been plying Jack with the mystery drug for over a solid week or three. In a panic, she searched the desk drawers, very well aware that at any moment someone could walk inside and realize she was busy re-kidnapping the groom. In the top one, she found a large pink bottle, with a stereotypical sticker pronouncing proudly “Love Potion 10.2”. 

“Mistress?” Jack asked her again. 

“No, everything is fine. Let’s get out of here. I have a feeling it will be very unhealthy here in a few minutes.” So that was why he kissed her! She’d deal with that bit of information later when they were both safe and she could collapse and consider how her life had led her here. Rue checked if the coast was clear and was about to step outside the door when Jack stopped her by touching her elbow. 

“I was thinking, perhaps you would feel more comfortable dressed in something else? Not that you look in any way less than beautiful. But I know your personal preferences.” 

“We really don’t have time for this, guards could be coming up any second,” Rue protested. This only led to Jack taking guard just outside the door, leaving her to get dressed in peace. Rue conceived the vague notion that as mistress perhaps she should be the one calling the shots. Instead, she grabbed the first garment that wasn’t outlined with fur, shimmying out of her previous borrowed outfit. She was dressed in record time in a gown that was predominantly silver with wine red elegant frills layering out into a broader pattern. She grabbed a comb on her way out, getting the tangles out of her hair. 

“You look lovely, mistress,” Jack complimented her. The mistress thing was lessening her initial pleasure about the kiss greatly. Her first kiss had involved a heavily drugged other party. If that wasn’t depressing she didn’t know what was. 

But he seemed more heightened to her mood as well, because he immediately moved to take her hand. “Thank you, Jack. That’s really kind of you. Shall we go?” 

Of course what she had needed in her life at the moment was the added feelings of romance, or at least lust, to her unstable cocktail of emotions. He picked up on her sense of urgency and matched her quick steps. At least he hadn’t asked her to switch shoes as well. High heels might just have killed her in this instant. All they needed to do now was cross through the ballroom and main hall. On their way down, she quickly had him turn around when she spotted a guard. There was a more than fair chance any guards in the castle knew exactly what Jack looked like.

They entered the ballroom through a side entrance. People were busily moving from one side of the room to the other, chattering loudly as they cleared the remnants of their drinks and wiped crumbs of their fancy clothing. Rue's heartbeat reached a new tempo, pounding in her ears. Would the queen see them? Would the guards somehow find out Jack was missing? Rue took deep breaths, trying to remind herself that she was just saving Jack, though that in its own was a problem. _One thing at a time, Rue. First we get out of here, then we go back to our original agonizing._ With her hand resting his arm, Jack guided her through the crowd. 

“Where are we headed, mistress?” heasked as pulled her closer to him.

Rue groaned. As soon as she got a quiet moment she’d get a good look at that bottle. This potion had to have an expiration. “The stables. I have a horse there.” 

“How did you come by that?” he asked in surprise, quickly pulling her out of the way of a servant girl running with a platter of glasses. Behind them, music swelled. Rue guessed it was almost time for the ceremony to begin. A small part of her wanted to stay and dance with Jack. She’d probably never get another chance to do so. Instead, they slipped by Foxy who stood tiptoed, spying over the crowd. Rue had a strange inkling that the woman was looking for her. 

“There’s a lot I have to tell you about the past weeks,” she mumbled, turning to face him and straighten his tie when a group of guards walked towards them. As she’d hoped, he bowed his head towards her to see what she was doing. “It can wait until we get out of here,” she assured him, smoothing out the front of his shirt. He placed his hand gently under her chin, raising her head towards him. 

With a small chirp of panic, she pressed a finger against his lips. “Not now. Let’s wait until we get out of here.” 

He sighed deeply, brushing his knuckle past the sensitive skin under her earlobe. “As my mistress commands.” 

No matter what Jack would have thought about this if he were sober, Rue suspected she’d need at least one change of underwear before the drug wore off. She was feeling decidedly damp in the nether regions, and a nice dose of guilt to boot. “A friendly request, Jack. Nothing more.” 

They resumed their path unhindered. Behind them, the music got more orchestral as the full moon rose in a dark sky and vague sounds of someone starting a speech. The pleasant smile remained screwed on her face as they marched past a band of confused servants who had stayed behind to watch a play being performed in the entrance hall. It seemed as if Selene wasn't completely opposed to her servants having a good time. If only she'd had a firmer grip on reality and put out an add for eligible bachelors instead of resorting to kidnapping. But that was not Rue's problem. First, she’d reunite Jack and his sword. After that, they’d take the horse and get as far away as possible. She needed to investigate that bottle and quick. Of course, no grand escape was complete without at least one last setback. In her case, it came in the form of Raps. 

“There’s my first-timer. What’s with the fancy get-up, my love?” he asked, making the very unwise move of trying to take her hand while Jack was in a hundred meter radius. 

Jack made sure to remedy the situation by grabbing the man by his pinkie, twisting the finger so he was forced to his knees. “I would suggest you take more care when addressing my mistress. Or I would see myself forced to do unpleasant things.” 

“Mistress, eh?” Raps asked, wagging his eyebrows. “Well, whatever gets you off. For me personally, I’d like her to- aaah!” 

Jack exerted more pressure on the unhappy pinkie. “I would consider my next words very carefully.” 

“I’d like the lady to live a long and happy life by your side,” Raps quickly finished his sentence. 

While this scene unfolded Rue had climbed up the ladder to where she’d hidden the sword, something which was not easy in a floor length dress. Her backpack she found but… “Raps, where is the sword?!” she shouted in a panic. 

Raps was only too happy to answer her, sounding as if his pinkie were still in mortal danger. “I saw you putting your stuff up there, but the theater group needed an extra prop. I was sure you wouldn’t mind assisting.” 

Rue now had a very good idea what a heart attack felt like. She dropped down the ladder as fast as she dared and took a few deep breaths, while Jack helpfully rubbed her back for her. “Let me guess, they're in the entry hall, where all of the queen's servants are watching their show?” 

Raps nodded. "Something like that."

"And there's probably a very good chance of something going terribly wrong when I go back in there, right?" Rue continued, trying to ignore Jack's warm hand on her back.

“Wouldn't know what, though that young Jimi has been forgetting his lines a lot,” Raps told her, not liking the way Jack glared at him. 

Of course, it would be right under the queen’s nose. There would be no other damned place for the sword to be. Jack continued to rub her back in soothing circles. “We can leave now. As long as you are safe, I am happy.” 

“Oh, Jack… I’ll restore you to yourself as soon as I can. But if the queen sees you we’ll really have the hornet nest after us,” she already hated herself for the next idea. “Stay here. I’ll go get the sword. Just… keep Raps here and stand by.” 

It took her another five minutes to untangle herself from Jack’s grasp and whispered requests to stay by his side. The practical side of herself really started considering the benefits of doing Aku’s bidding again. The good part of her, the part Jack had been encouraging to grow, diligently stomped that part somewhere in the deep recesses of her mind. Oh, she would regret this alright. At least it was doing wonders for her social skills. 

Skirts raised she ran back to the main hall as fast as she could, silently cursing the architect for insisting on the grand plaza. It looked like she was just in time for the grand finale of the play, where the hero was about to slay the villain. If it was possible for a mythical sword to try very hard to seem like an average prop, she was now seeing Jack’s sword make the attempt. The crowd gathered in front of the stage was tight-pressed, leaning in to see the action. 

Rue quickly moved around the stage, trying to make her way near the back. Once she got backstage she’d try to get the sword and run out of the main hall before anyone saw her. Taking as big steps as the dress allowed, she inched closer to the stage. The ending of the play was a long affair, including evil monologues and the hero making a speech for all that was good. Rue had by now seen enough fights between good and evil to know both sides just really wanted to get business over and done with. 

“FIND HIM!” a voice screeched from somewhere in the palace. As if by magic guards appeared everywhere, blocking the exit and surrounding the guests. The queen appeared in a cloud of white chiffon, a long veil trailing behind her. “Find my groom!” 

Rue slowly inched towards the stage while everyone in the hall found themselves under close scrutiny. The actors had paused in their performance. The search continued and the tension was practically palpable. Hoping to sort of fade into the artistic decor Rue hoisted herself up on the stage and walked, seemingly casually, towards the lead actor. When she reached him she took the sword from his hand in what seemed to be a very decisive manner. “I’ll be taking this back if you don’t mind.” 

The sword seemed to pulsate gratefully against her palm. There seemed also to be a decided longing coming from it. Rue patted it awkwardly with her other hand. She wasn’t quite sure how one comforted a sword, but she had the vague idea it did appreciate the effort. At least _this_ time it didn't try to control her right away.

Her absentminded interactions were interrupted when the queen suddenly spoke, in a voice that was deceivingly calm. “And pray tell, why would a whore be wearing one of my dresses?” 

Rue turned around, realizing all eyes were on her. Nervously she wet her lips, grasping Jack’s sword with both hands. “I could tell you the truth, but I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t be happy to hear it.” 

“Do try me,” the queen said in a tone that was pretty much a challenge. Of course, it was easy to be the challenging party when one was backed with over a dozen swords. Rue suddenly felt outnumbered and very unloved. 

“Well, you see… it’s really funny. But the samurai you kidnapped is my friend.” Who was the funny guy that turned the spotlight on her? Rue really didn't want to be here.

“He’s a prince. I did him a favor.” Selene's voice was cold and snippy.

Now that kind of reasoning was unfamiliar to Rue. “I’m really failing to see your point here.” 

“Princes are supposed to marry into royalty. I was merely helping him fulfill both our destinies.” 

"… you know. I worked in one of the big bureaucracy spirals in Aku’s castle. I see a lot of reports coming through there and lady, you make the craziest ones seems like they’re founded on solid concrete.” _That_ was the queen's big reason to force Jack into a loveless marriage? 

“Excuse you?” 

“I’m calling you crazy. Also, your intended is like long gone from here,” Rue stated at the exact moment Jack rode inside on the white horse, proving her to be an effectual liar. Not that she was going to complain. People seldom thought to complain when a white stallion trampled towards them at full speed. 

“Rue!” Jack shouted, directing the horse toward her. Servants ducked out of his way while soldiers tried desperately to stop him in his tracks. The ensuing pandemonium was extremely loud and resulting in several people running into each other, while Jack tried to weave the horse through the crowd without trampling anyone.

She turned to the surprised lead actor who had been watching the proceedings with open mouth. “I’ll take the scabbard too, if you don't mind.” 

“Lady, you’re amazing. Can I get your autograph?” 

“Now is really not the time for this,” Rue groaned, grabbing the scabbard and running to the edge of the stage. Her mind resisted the idea of running straight toward a group of really angry guards and a raging queen while sheathing a sword. She slid of the edge of the stage and tried to get through the crowd. Eventually she decided that it would be best to get to the other side of the room. Running there was an uncomfortable business, seeing as how the sword deemed it necessary to take control over her movements, forcing her to duck and dodge every time a soldier came near. Rue placed a hand on the handle, panting. She was halfway there when the sword forced her into a sudden split. Her muscles protested and Rue yelped in pain, before two guards stumbled over her legs and landed facefirst in front of her. "Could you cut that out? I'm rescuing you here, so please, if you're going to make me dodge, try to do it in a way that's more constructive... And less painful!"

She barely managed to stumble upright, hating the sword more with every movement she made. Then someone placed a hand on her shoulder and slapped her. Rue's head twisted and she could almost hear little bells ringing behind her eyelids. The sword emitted an aura of mirth at her pain, indicating that it could have helped her avoid that, if she'd been nicer.

The queen stood in front of Rue, opening her mouth to unleash a barrage of insults. Rue raised her hand and motioned the queen to be quiet, before raising the sword to eye level. "Look, you are being very ungrateful here." Somewhere in the background a guard screamed as the white horse knocked him to the side. "I mean, here I am, coming back for you, even though that is certainly not in my best interest," Jack shouted her name, but she was too busy to pay attention. She was fed up with the sword and its shenanigans. "And I know you don't like me that much, but we have to work together if we're going to get Jack back."

Queen Selene's face was pale, though it was impossible to tell if this was due to withheld rage or merely shock. "Are you, by any chance, completely and utterly off your rocker?"

Rue's mouth fell open. "You're the one that's kidnapping a future spouse, and I'm crazy?"

"You stole my dress, and are talking to a sword!"

Rue opened her mouth and closed it again. After a deep breath she found her words. "Look, lady, this rescue mission was very much improvised and I had to work with what I have. It's not my fault your potion backfired and Jack's now obsessed with me, I have my own problems to deal with and-"

"He WHAT?"

Maybe saying that Jack was now in the throes of a drugged up obsession was not the best thing. Rue knew she was in the right, but found it very hard to articulate that sentiment.

Queen Selene was experiencing no such issues. "Guards, off with her head!" Hmmm, that line sounded well practiced for some reason.

Rue decided that being rescued by someone else right now wasn't such a bad thing, and decided to add a scream of her own to the cacaphony. "JACK?"

Mere seconds later a broad arm circled around her waist and lifted her up. Rue saw a black suit and dark eyes, before she was pressed against Jack's chest. The horse reared and she clung to his shirt with one hand as they swivelled. On later recollection, she would be duly impressed by the equestrian technique. In the moment itself, she only felt slightly seasick. 

“Did you get the sword?” Jack asked her as they galloped out of the main hall. Rue managed a nod, which felt like a great achievement. The hooves clattered heavily against the stones, sending sparks flying in its path. Had Rue known just what kind of tale would be spun out of this event and the kind of rumors that would reach Aku, she would have tried to temper Jack in his heroic rescue. As it was, the grand plaza passed quickly underneath the horse, though the sound of guards being rallied quickly drenched the night. Horses whinnied and neighed while huge fires were started on the castle wall.

The drawbridge started to raise, and Rue realized they were going to make the jump. Of course they would, that was what rescues were about. "Jack, what do I do?" Surely there was something she could do to help the jump succeed.

"Hold on!" he told her and she quickly buried her head in his chest. The feeling of the horse jumping was sickening, as was her sudden fear that they wouldn't make it. _We will make it, I know we will_ , she thought desperately. And suddenly, there was a heavy thud and gravity returned. The horse resumed its mad dash while people still screeched orders to follow them.

Jack holding her with one arm as he held the reins with his free hand proved to be marginally more comforting than riding the horse by herself. She held the sword pressed tightly against her chest, determined not to lose it. With relief, she noted he had brought the backpack. When this was over he could dress back into his kimono. That and restoring the sword to him would be one step to bringing the old Jack back. 

She was vaguely aware of the guards chasing after them, but Jack steered the horse in such an expert way they kept their advantage. Before long they were alone in the woods, the white horse reflecting the moonlight. Jack slowed the horse down. It was only then she realized she’d grabbed onto his arm almost painfully during their flight. She let go with a quick apology. 

“Are you alright, mistress?” he asked her. 

“I’m fine… just… call me Rue? Please? Or miss Rue?” she asked him. He ran a finger past her cheek with a smile. 

“Rue then. Calling you ‘miss’ would be a far too cold way to address you, Rue.” He leaned in for a kiss again. With a sad sigh, Rue placed her hands on the side of his face, giving him a kiss on the cheek instead. 

“I don’t feel right about kissing you now, Jack. You’re under a spell. Please try to understand,” she tried to explain. 

He leaned his head against her hand. His cheek was warm against her hand. “I don’t understand. I don’t want to understand,” he sounded almost like an obstinate child. 

As he seemed to get some comfort out of her touching him, she continued to slowly stroke his cheek. With her free hand she fished the bottle out of the pocket - at least the queen had seen the need for pockets in dresses - and held the fine print to the moonlight. 

_“Love Potion: Take care to use moderately. Subject will become obsessed with the first object they view favorably.”_ Well, that at least explained Jack’s unusual focus on her. _“Potency varies on strength of emotion concerning the obsession. Caution: may wear off after an extended period of time.”_

After this followed a long list of ingredients that was both interesting and revolting. “What does ‘extended period of time’ mean anyway? Is it like a day? A week?” 

“I would assume it would take at least a month, considering a queen paid for it,” Jack offered helpfully when she stopped her gently caress of his cheek. 

“That’s what I was afraid of. It’s actually the ‘may wear off’ I’m concerned about. Oh, what’s this? Made by witch Hazelina, Tompano swamp, log 2541.” She considered the bottle. It was over half empty. She guessed the queen had been really desperate to have Jack fall for her. She glanced at the unfortunate enchanted man. “Well, I guess we have our next destination.” 

“You wish to go to a swamp? Why?” Jack asked her. 

Rue smiled sadly. “To cure you. I know you don’t understand it right now, Jack. But trust me that you will thank me when it’s over.” 

He seemed to consider her words, staring at her face intently. “I must confess, I am happy right now. But if it would make you happier, I will gladly go anywhere you wish to go.” 

Rue felt like crying. It was like his quest had no meaning at all anymore. It felt like the real Jack was indeed dead. As he turned their horse in the correct direction, Rue rested against his chest. It seemed to soothe his disgruntled feelings immediately as he wrapped his arms securely around her. In a way, what Aku wanted most had happened. Rue hadn’t thought she could feel this hollow about it. 

She gently held his sword in her lap. As she placed her hand on the handle, she felt a sense of both sadness and urgency sweep from it. She sighed, caressing the handle slowly, her own issues with the sword forgotten. “Me too… me too.”


	11. An Old Friend and Misunderstandings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A casual reminder that Kaukze is an amazing person and I am grateful they're a part of this earth <3
> 
> And everyone, THANK YOU SO MUCH for the comments and the kudos, they really mean a lot to me. I never reply because I'd hate to make it seem like people comment more on my story than they actually do (is that weird?) BUT if you'd like me to reply, I will always do so. Just leave me a little note saying that you'd like to hear back from me and I will.
> 
> On a side note, the next chapter will contain a little something for those hoping for smut <3 It will be completely unnecessary to the plot - I make a few references later on, but you can still understand the story without reading the chapter - so feel free to skip the following chapter if you don't like smut with your plot/romance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those concerned about the smut being drug-induced in the next chapter, I promise you nothing of *that* kind will happen, okay? I'll mention why in a chapter note at the end of this chapter, so if you don't want to spoil it you can just read without prior knowledge, but if you're really insecure about reading it, you can glance at that and rest easy.

They rode down a broad dirt path, the horse throwing up clods of dirt with every step it took. Rue had found that the swaying of the horse now left her legs numb, which wasn’t nearly as bad as the pain she’d felt the first few days of equestrian efforts. After a very mild discussion, she had convinced Jack she preferred sitting behind him on the horse. Two sudden drops from the horse had found her sitting in front again, where Jack could keep an eye on her. 

The latter was once again dressed, as usual, sword strapped to his hip and sandals firmly in the stirrups. Even their conversations had almost gone back to normal. But the polite way he had treated her was now replaced by a firm reference towards her every whim. And sometimes, when they were riding along quietly, his lips would very gently brush past her temple, or his hand would shift from a secure hold on her hip to a more daring caress along her thigh. 

Rue had a hard time keeping her feelings under control. Jack was now very eager to fulfill any request she could have made of him, and he made very clear he was willing to do so at any moment she chose. She found their trip to the swamps an excellent moment to practice the mental exercises the samurai had once recommended to her. Inner peace, mental strength, and an iron will. Every single one under siege by an exceedingly handsome warrior prince. The fingers of his left hand gently rested against her waist, radiating a heat she felt duplicated in her belly. “Perhaps we can find an inn for this night?” 

“I quite enjoy camping in the woods,” she replied sweetly. She didn’t remove his hand. He’d had the general air of a kicked puppy every time she rebuked his gentle advances too strongly. As long as they were in the woods he seemed to have no inclination to take things to a higher level. And she feared that if she got near Jack in a private room now she wouldn’t be able to resist. She wondered how understanding he would be about that when she got him de-drugged. 

“You’re sore,” he murmured in her ear. The now familiar tingle in her stomach was back. “I could give you a massage if we were in a room.” 

Rue swallowed, hard. Now here was an offer that was the very definition of temptation. Jack’s warm breath against her earlobe sent shivers down her spine. Had the forest always been this hot or was it just her? 

“Now I got ya, ya sorry excuse for a wood hag,” a rough voice came from some rustling bushes. It was followed by a man roughly built like how Rue imagined oak tree trunks would be built if they ever became sapient. His beard and long hair were almost orange and he was wearing something that mightily resembled a skirt. That he intended no good was evident from the sword in his hand. 

Jack halted the horse at a safe distance before the man. “It is good to see you, my friend. What brings you here?” 

“I’m savin’ ya from the biggest mistake of your sorry life. I heard all about the kidnappin’ and the weddin’. Don’t do it, boy, you got yer entire life in front of ye. That scrawny plank isn’t worth tyin’ yerself down for!” the man shouted at the both of them. The horse nervously scratched the dirt in front of it. 

Jack tightened his grip around her waist. “I would prefer it if you did not refer to my lady that way.” 

“That’s because she’s got ya drugged! Don’t worry, I’ll get ya fixed up in no time!” 

Jack’s hand left her waist and reached for his sword. “I’m afraid I can not let you separate us.” 

Rue placed her hand on top of his, at the same time glaring at the stranger. “Now stop it, both of you! This is just one big misunderstanding!” 

The redheaded man pointed straight at her with his sword. “Yer tellin’ me yer, not the conniving hussy that kidnapped me best friend, drugged him and dragged him in front of the altar?” 

“No, I’m the woman that dragged him away from the altar and to the swamp!” Rue shouted back, nearly toppling of the horse in her frustration. 

This took the wind out of her opponent’s sails. “What are ye talkin’ aboot, to the swamp? That’s the last place a hoity-toity, philandering, good for nothing spoiled brat would take her captive. What are ye plannin’ on doing there?” 

“Rue wants to cure me, for some reason. I feel perfectly fine,” Jack stated slowly. He gave off every air that he would rather fight his friend than have his mistress endangered. 

His friend shook his head. “How ‘bout ye get of ta horse and tell me what happened?” 

|Several Hours Later| 

Once she was enlightened about the identity of the Scotsman and he had been brought up to speed concerning the current situation she was elevated from ‘scrawny wood hag’ to ‘wee lil’ stick’. Rue had never once in her life approached scrawny or skinny, instead enjoying the average proportioning that was the blessing of her kind. But she supposed that next to the Scotsman she indeed resembled something of an easily snapped stick. At least his general countenance had miraculously cleared two rooms for them in a crowded inn. The sign proudly stated this was the last place of civilization because the other two inns had been swallowed up by the swamp a long time ago. 

Jack sat next to Rue, running his thumb over her hand. Somewhere in the deep recesses of his mind, there was still the sane Jack who did not suffer the effects of Love Potion 10.2. That Jack tried without success to talk some sense into the now dominant part of his brain. 

The workings of the potion had been largely explained to him by Selene during his captivity. A small dosage and one admirable thing about the person he saw and utter infatuation was the result. Jack soon discovered that infatuation and utter obsession were interchangeable in the queen’s dictionary. He suspected that if he had focused on Rue’s eyes or clumsy yet adorable footwork he might have been able to retain a sliver of sanity. Instead, his mind had latched on to the idea that she was alive and that this was the most wonderful thing on the planet. 

The result was an extreme agitation whenever she was out of his line of vision, followed by a disgruntled annoyance if they were not touching at any moment. Thanks to the potion, the continuance of Rue’s life had become his first priority. On a rational level, he duly appreciated her constant efforts to remind him of his mission, of encouraging him to meditate or train with his sword. On the obsessed level, there was the constant wish to lock them both in a room and let the rest of the world sink deeper into hell. 

“Is that okay for you, Jack?” Rue asked him, breaking through the reverie in which he had been admiring the curve of her neck. He leaned closer towards her, despite every inclination to stop acting like an overexcited madman. 

“Jack…” she stopped him, a hand under his chin to look into his eyes. He supposed she thought she was reaching the sensible part of him. Instead, direct eye contact served as kindling to a raging fire, the desire to make her happy throbbing in him. “Will you share a room with the Scotsman? I’m sure you two have a lot to catch up on.” 

Sane Jack rejoiced at this solution. He already had one kiss, several caresses, and at least three incriminating comments too deeply apologize for, and didn’t need to add any other indiscretions to the list. Obsessed Jack took the news less well. “Why? Don’t you want to sleep together?” 

Rue went a deep scarlet and glanced at the Scotsman with a look that said ‘I’m very sorry you have to see this but I swear I’m not encouraging him’, before asking him to pick up their dinners for them. “You should catch up with your friend. Promise me you’ll be nice to him? Have a talk and such. Maybe he has heard news about a time portal.” 

He kept his lips tightly together. The part of him that wanted to obey her warred with the part that wanted constant reassurance she was alive. “Ask me something else?” he hated the pleading tone in his voice. He was tired of feeling like the mix of an overprotective hawk and an easily wounded puppy. 

“Promise me, Jack,” Rue pressed, taking one of his hands in hers, enveloping it in a warm softness. It almost caused a sensory overload, especially when she leaned forward towards him. In a conspiratory tone, she repeated her request. 

“Of course, Rue,” he heard himself say as the Scotsman dropped their dinners in front of them. He would find a way to express his appreciation of her efforts once he was cured. Judging from her general behavior his current condition was hard on her as well. She had proven to be a true friend, steadfast and convinced in her morals. Jack hadn’t thought he could be as convincing as he was. At this point he wouldn’t even hold it against her should she succumb to his constant advances. Of course, he would hold himself twice as responsible if it came to that. It wasn’t very likely, though. One more day and it was over. Just one more day of this constant quest for sensuality opposed by his morals. 

“I will make sure to catch up fully with my friend if that makes you happy.” 

“Laddy, it pains me to see how yer like this. I always thought when ye were finally struck with that sweet bolt of love it’d be more… natural for ye,” the Scotsman said in between bites of his dinner. “If it weren’t that the stick ye fell for was such a sweet filly, well, yer could have been in trouble.” He turned to Rue, tearing a chunk of bread from a loaf. “It’s a good thing he’s so scrawny ‘imself. If he were built like me, I don’t think ye’dve been able to resist ‘im.” 

Rue mumbled something to her dinner that sounded like assent, but could also have been a fervent prayer to any eavesdropping god to let her sink into the ground. Perhaps she merely tried to engage her meal in friendly conversation. Jack had caught her more than once talking to inanimate objects. They seemed to be more reassuring to her than anything living. The first time he had feared she might be mad. By now he’d accepted it as a quirk, something unique and rather disarming. 

As nighttime finally fully enveloped the land, crickets struck a chorus outside. Somewhere an owl hooted loudly, followed by the unmistakable sound of something dying. Jack lay on his bed, waiting for the Scotsman to start snoring. The obsession that was in the driver's seat knew what it was about, while Jack was stuck in the passenger's seat. He constantly tried to tug away control. It was easier to withstand his emotions when Rue wasn’t near, he found. Instead of being bombarded with a thousand and one lovestruck thoughts he now only had to contend with the desire to see her. 

Perhaps he would be able to break free without the witch helping them. In fact, he managed to twitch his little toe, contrary to the wishes of the poison in his veins. A mounting surge of victory rose in him. This was it! He would regain control, one muscle at a time. By the time dawn came again he would be- 

The Scotsman launched into a deep, hearty snore. As if this was the starting sign, Jack stood up and slowly walked towards the door, not bothering to adjust his gi. With a mounting terror, he realized where his body was going and tried to stop it. That he managed to make the little toe twitch incoherently did nothing to lift his spirits, considering the rest of his muscles moved in perfect unison. 

With a direct route as if he could sense where she was, Jack made his way to Rue’s room. Carefully he scanned the hallway, certain to make sure nothing was lurking in the shadows. The moon threw silvery blotches and dark shadows with careless ease. The doorknob to her room glinted invitingly in the light. As he reached out, Jack reeled against himself in his mind. His hand paused mid-air. ‘Stop this at once. Miss Rue is better than this. I am better than this. We shall not be lowered to a tryst in-’ 

He turned the doorknob. 

|Rue| 

Sleep evaded her. She had tossed and turned. She had taken her locket, almost forgotten at this point, and studied it in the moonlight while she sat cross-legged on the bed. Jack’s sword rested against the night stand, given by Jack as his ‘replacement’. Rue could swear it was staring at her with disapproval. This, of course, was mighty impressive considering the lack of eyes. The ornate dress she’d swiped from the palace hung from a chair, giving her the opportunity to breathe decently. 

“Look, I’m trying the best I can, okay?” 

The disapproval somehow shifted subtly, more focused on what she held in her hands. Rue didn’t know what was more frustrating; that she was communicating with a sword or that said sword was somehow exercising moral judgment on her. 

“I haven’t poisoned him so far, have I?” she pointed out rather testily. In his current state, it would actually be rather easy. She suspected he would break his neck in search of a glass of water to mix the poison with. 

The disapproval turned into a questioning, dense cloud, pressing down on her so heavily she felt trapped. Perhaps there was a reason people didn’t talk to objects. Perhaps once you started it was just one straight way to the insanity. At least she suspected that was what was happening. 

“I don’t know. I’m… confused. I know what I should do. It’s just that… knowing what you have to do and should do and want to do…” she felt a headache sneaking up. “I don’t really want him dead,” she confessed sheepishly. Of course, her recent actions had proven as much. But she still _had_ to go through with it, because otherwise what was her point in life?

It was with a sense of relief she heard the doorknob wobble, as it broke up the self-reflection she was forced to undergo. Then she suddenly realized the doorknob wasn’t supposed to be wobbling, since she most certainly wasn’t expecting any late night visitors. She dropped the necklace to the ground and instead grabbed the blankets beneath her, pulling them up to her chest. 

Jack entered the room with such a sense of natural belonging that for a moment she was swept up into the moment. Then her brain rather unromantically reminded her that anything he was up to at the moment was fabricated by a mixture of herbs with unpronounceable names. The realization gave her enough courage to meet his gaze straight on and speak with only the hint of a shiver. “Didn’t you promise me you would catch up with your friend?” 

“He’s asleep now. And I wished to see you. You look lovely in the moonlight,” he added the last part in a tone of voice so full of want it nearly had her swooning. As it was she already felt a tad lightheaded. 

Rue considered running away as he walked towards her. But she knew he was fast, strong and at this moment very one-track minded. And, if she was honest, she felt a bit weak in the knees at the sight of his gi opened enough to grant her a generous view of his chest. In response, she clutched the covers tighter to her own chest, a flimsy shield at best. 

He sat down next to her on the bed. His weight shifted the mattress, causing her to lean closer to him automatically. With a fevered look in his eyes, he stroked away an errant strand of hair, knuckles brushing past her cheek. “Rue…” 

The scent of tea and man reached her nose. Unwillingly she took a deep breath, her heart hammering so hard she feared her chest might burst. He moved closer to her and pressed a rapid succession of small kisses against her cheek. Rue closed her eyes and prayed for strength, or in lieu of that, an absence of guilt the following morning. 

“Jack, we’re so close. Don’t do anything you will regret later,” she admonished him, pressing both her hands against his shoulders. She resisted the urge to spread her fingers wider or to slide the gi of his shoulders. One of them had to be responsible, and she had no doubt Jack would be a perfect gentleman if she'd been in his place.

“I just want to know you’re alive. I want you to know you’re alive,” he told her, his lips slowly trailing towards her mouth. 

Feeling braver than she would have thought, she took one of his hands and placed it above her breasts. “I am alive Jack. Can’t you feel my heart beating?” 

He pulled back with a smile so sincere it nearly broke her resolve. “Yes. It’s beating so strongly. It’s amazing.” 

Pulling the resolve closer and sliding a distinct longing to be embraced and dominated by Jack firmly to the side, Rue sank down on the bed. “If you promise we’ll only sleep, you can stay.” 

He followed her down, heavy and muscular and oh so tempting. His eyes glistened when the moonlight touched them. “Can I listen to your heart?” 

Rue nodded, opening her arms. Jack settled next to her, resting his head on her chest. His warm breath tickled down her breasts as he possessively draped an arm around her waist. She removed his hair pin, placing it on the nightstand, before gently stroking her hand through his hair. “Good night Jack.” 

“Sweet dreams to you, Rue.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is just a wet dream Jack has, so nothing has happened between him and Rue yet. I don't support taking advantage of drugged partners, so you'll never see that in my stories ^^


	12. Interlude I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just calling all the racy chapters 'interludes' since that'll make it easier for people to skip (to) the porn if they want to do that. Also my allergies are torturing me, so I really hope I'll be better by tomorrow.
> 
> As always, thank you to Kaukze (who had to endure little bursts of 300-ish words as I was writing this because I needed constant confirmation that it was okay). 
> 
> Thank you to everyone who commented or left kudos <3 You all are a dream come true <3
> 
> Also, if anyone has experience with academic writing and would want to proofread my master thesis (Romanticizing Snape : how fanfiction treats a morally ambigous character) drop me a note. My deadline is the 31st and I'm dead nervous. Also, you don't need to read the whole thing, just reading one chapter or a segment would be cool too.
> 
> That being said, Enjoy!

Rue woke up from a fitful sleep. She wasn’t sure how late it was, but it was still dark out. The moonlight had shifted and now illuminated the foot end of the bed. Jack slept next to her, his head pressed against her chest. His breathing was even, his eyes closed. His arm was still draped possessively around her waist. Compared to the moments when she’d seen him sleep at their campsite the past few days, this sleep seemed to be deep and restful. The lines near the corners of his mouth were almost completely gone. With a smile she stroked his hair, her fingers careful not to snag in the inky black locks. Sleep claimed her again while she played gently with his hair. Laying like this felt safe and peaceful.

The next time she woke up, it happened so gradually she at first believed she was still sleeping. Someone was pressing warm kisses in the crook of her neck, their hot breath brushing over her skin. She frowned, not believing her hormones. This was not the moment to dream about Jack. Annoyed she raised a hand to rub over her eyes. Was it morning, or was she just doomed to have a night interrupted with terribly inappropriate dreams?  
A big hand closed over hers and pulled the hand back down, nestling it against her stomach. “You’re awake,” a low voice observed, the sound vibrating against her own throat.

Well that was more firm than she was used to in her dreams. Usually she woke up the exact moment things got even vaguely interesting. Surprised she opened her eyes, right before warm lips pressed against hers. Jack. He pressed closer to her and he was so, so ready for her. The love potion had managed to completely negate his usual reservedness. Her groan turned into a moan against his mouth, his teeth scraping slightly against her bottom lip.

“Jack,” she tried to speak against him. Their lips barely left one another enough for the smallest of words. Heat radiated from his body against hers, his big hands gently stroking up and down her sides. “I don’t think you want this.”

“I do,” he reassured her, pressing against her again. His erection pressed against her stomach, hard and impossible to deny. “I really do.”

Perhaps the key to getting through to him would be to get some distance between them. She shifted her hips and lifted one leg. Swinging it around him, he seemed to get the hint that she wanted to move. Her idea had been to get out of the bed and walk out of the room, preferably to an extremely cold shower. But he’d held on to her wrist and now she was on top, looking down on the broad expanse of his chest. The gi had fallen open, hardly held together by the cord around his waist. A few sparse, black hairs caught her attention. The outline of his erect dick was perfectly visible underneath the thin fabric. Her mouth went dry. She didn’t know what to do with her free hand.

Jack had no such inhibitions. He pressed a hand against her behind, pulling her closer. There was a sudden friction between them and Rue had to keep from moaning again. Now that he had her in this position, Jack rolled his hips on the mattress, rutting against her in a slow, insistent way. His other hand he used to entwine their fingers, holding her close. “What about you?” His hips made another excruciation slow roll against hers. “Do you want to?”

Just one, one kiss couldn’t hurt, right? Rue leaned forward, the nails of her free hand trailing across the ridge’s of his abdomen. Jack usually listened to her when she gave commands, so perhaps if she stated the rules clearly… she gasped at the continued rolling of his hips against hers, determined to be the strong one.  
“I’ll give you one kiss,” she whispered to him, her lips brushing against his ear. “But I don’t want you to be disappointed in me later, so that’s all. Deal?”

Both his hands buried in her hair, pulling her closer as his lips pressed against hers. Rue thought she might drown in the sensation. Jack’s lips were warm and soft, opening slightly as if daring her to take things further. One kiss, she thought, but she hadn’t specified more than that. It could be as long or intense as they wanted. So she took the dare, slowly running her tongue past his lower lip. He smelled intensely male at this point, the heat of his chest radiating through her top, their bare legs entwining. To her surprise he gently bit her in return, sucking her lower lip while pressing his lower body toward her. They broke apart and Rue gasped for air. With more than a bit of reluctance she finally spoke, “well, that was the kiss.”

His eyes widened as she moved away. “That wasn’t the deal,” he whispered to her, barely hard enough to be audible. She wanted to groan, but kept managed to keep quiet. The less fuel she threw on the fire, the better. Even though she wanted to go further…  
“I never agreed to the deal.” He kissed her again, more forceful. She leaned into him, a fire burning inside her. She prayed he would slide a hand up her thigh, pull up her night shirt and then-  
“I need more,” he confessed, the words thick as honey from his mouth.

She wanted him to touch her. She had no doubt she was wet and ready. The idea of Jack touching the inside of her thighs, his callused palms against her heated skin as he kept her legs spread was almost too much. If it hadn’t been for that blasted potion… desperately she thought for a way to find some release, without going too far. Her hand dropped to his stomach and she looked at his waiting erection. Actually, she wanted to touch him too. But there was still a line of morality that told her it would be a step too far, too soon. So if she couldn’t touch him, and if he couldn’t touch her…

She looked up into those beautiful, dark brown eyes. “Jack…” she started, not really able to get the question out properly. It wasn’t like she asked this kind of thing on a daily basis. She coughed, hoping her next sentence would be spoken without stuttering. “Do you ever masturbate?” She really hoped this was just a kinky dream, because she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to look him in the eye again.  
—————

She had to be kidding. It was the first thought Jack had that was actually in accordance with the potion. “That wasn’t the deal,” he whispered back, his voice strained. This was wrong, he argued with himself. But oh, Rue wasn’t fighting it. No, she was giving him small bits and pieces, afraid of hurting him. Right now he wanted to crash and burn, as long as he could do it wrapped up in her.  
“I never agreed to the deal.” A second kiss, before she could protest. She’d come for him, she’d come to look for him despite being terrified. “I need more.” At the same time, he would never live down forcing her into something she didn’t want to.

Her hand fell to his stomach, tantalizingly close to his aching erection. She swallowed, glancing up at him. “Jack…” her question seemed to lodge in her throat and she coughed once. “Do you ever masturbate?”

That question should have been like a cold shower. Instead it flamed in his blood and made his dick twitch. He opened his mouth and couldn’t find the words. Instead he nodded.

Her fingers drew a tantalizing circle around his belly button. “Well, if you want more, you can use your hand. And I could watch, if you wanted me to.”

No. Yes. Please, yes. Gods no. The thought of Rue watching him was somehow shameful and exciting at the same time. “Would that make you happy?” he asked softly, while in his mind he wasn’t sure if he did want to be in control. Things were moving in a direction that he shouldn’t be agreeing with… but he was, he was agreeing with this to an embarrassing extent. His eyes fell to her hand, to her soft fingers trailing along his stomach. It would be even better if she were the one to touch him. He was ridiculously happy she was on top.

Her face was flushed. She moved, the thin fabric of her night shirt swaying in the movement. He caught the outline of erect nipples as her hand trailed up and down in expanding circles. “I think it would be the safest way for us to enjoy the moment.” Her eyes moved down again, and Jack had no doubt on where her gaze landed. “I would like to watch.”

Jack should have known it was a losing battle from the moment he’d seen her in that tower. “Your wish…” he said and the words were thick and slightly hoarse. Her eyes were trained on his hand as he slowly reached down and in the bindings of his fundoshi. Gratefully he discovered they’d loosened in the night, making it easier to push them away. His body seemed to be insistent on showing exactly what he wanted; his erect dick sprang to hand and Rue inhaled sharply. “…is my desire.”  
Aware of his audience, he gave a first stroke, making sure to gauge Rue’s reaction. If the widening of her eyes told him anything, or the way her breath hitched, he dared to bet she was enjoying this. He continued, the strokes smooth and slow, reaching the very head of his dick before he moved back down again.

Part of him wanted to stop. But that part wouldn’t have won out now, not this far into things. Because now his imagination worked in tandem with the obsession. He knew Rue’s smell, he knew the softness of her hands in his. He knew the way her eyes would twinkle when she listened to him. The sound of his hand slapping against flesh intensified. Gods, her hands. He imagined her hands around him, squeezing and rubbing until he couldn’t bear it any longer. Her name escaped his mouth as he looked at her face. “Rue… could you… could you do it too?”

It was impossible for her to blush harder, but the way her body twitched when he asked was enough. She hesitated.

“Please, Rue. It’s okay as long as we don’t touch each other, right?” He had never imagined begging a woman for this. He’d never imagined doing something like this before he got back to the future. But now all he wanted was for Rue to moan his name.

Her knees were still pressed against his thighs, the heat of their bodies mingling. Slowly, deliberately, she rose up on her legs and pulled her thumbs through the band of her white underwear. Jack bit his lip at the sight; he’d thought she’d keep on the layer of fabric and only grant him the barest of glimpses. Instead she managed to shimmy away from the garment.  
Her hand trembled ever so slightly as she trailed down her stomach, the white loose shirt she’d been wearing pulled away so Jack could see what she was doing.

“Rue, I…” his hand tightened around his cock in anticipation of what he was about to see. “Can you imagine that that’s… my hand?” That was a step too far, he feared. Blood pounded in his ears as he waited for her reply.

Rue’s tongue ran past her lips. “…I always do.”

That nearly sent him straight over the edge. In his surprise he missed how she first stroked past the dark curls between her legs, but he couldn’t tear his eyes away after he recovered. His own hand pumped more firmly, matching the speed of her fingers as Rue let out a first little whimper. “You do?”

She nodded, breathing a ‘yes’ as her knees shook.

Gods. “How often?” he asked, not knowing if he would be able to handle the answer. The mere idea that she was getting off to the thought of him…

Another little gasp. “Every time.”

He squeezed himself a little too hard, but even that couldn’t put a damper on his mood. He was her fantasy, every time? It was almost too good to be true. As it was he could barely even muster the sliver of sanity he desperately tried to hold on to. Her fingers now followed his rhythm, and he could swear they glistened as she moved them in and out. Jack swallowed, hard, his mouth asking questions he didn’t know he had. “What do you think about?”

The hand resting on his stomach shivered, her nails scratching along his skin. “About you… I…” her breathing was harder than it had been before, as if the mere thought of older fantasies was enough to further arouse her. “I think about your hands… I think about your… about you inside of me.”

She had been about to say ‘cock’ or something equally dirty. Jack felt how the edge neared, making no effort to fight it. A few drops of warm fluid landed on his hand and he realized Rue must be dripping wet. With a groan he moved his hand faster, digging his heels into the mattress. “I’d love that,” he groaned, knowing he was being completely honest in that instance. Nothing on earth could have felt better than being inside Rue. He’d be completely content having her grinding against him in this position, without any potion-induced guilt. Just them, panting and sweaty, tangled and without anything to disturb them.  
It was enough to finally make him burst. Thick, white come spurted from the swollen head as he gently used his hand to guide his orgasm. He imagined it was Rue clenching around him as she whimpered and moaned against him.

Speaking of, she was still fingering herself, though judging from the sounds it wouldn’t be much longer. Hungrily he looked at the way her fingers moved, how her palm flattened against the triangle of curls. However weary he was, he still raised himself, until he could whisper against her. Rue’s breaths were ragged pants as she leaned against him. “I would be honored to be inside you,” he muttered against her mouth, before kissing her deeply. He felt her orgasm shudder from her core and in the twitching of her knees. 

“Jack,” she whispered, leaning her head against him.

He pressed light kisses on her cheek, slowly lowering her to the bed. She nestled against him, her ear pressed against his chest. “Are you alright?” he asked her.

She nodded and yawned. “Never better. Think we can still sleep for a while?”

Before he could answer she’d already drifted off. He looked down at her and admired her swollen lips, parted as she breathed in and out evenly. Surprised he ran a hand through her shoulder-length hair, careful not to pull at any knots. He hadn’t expected something like this to happen. And yet, he thought with a yawn, he wasn’t sure if he could blame the potion entirely.

———————  
He woke up to the sound of birds singing and sunshine falling through the window. He was alone in the bed and panic gripped his heart.

“Relax, I’m here, Jack.” Rue sat on a chair, pulling a brush through her hair. The look on her face was sweet and indulgent. “We’re getting you healed today. I’m sure your friend will be screaming at me soon. He probably thinks I’ve made an assault on your chastity.”

But she had. Rather, he had made the assault and she’d gone along with it. He swallowed, unsure how to bring it up. “I… did you get enough rest?” It was the most direct way he could think off to ask her if she was alright.

A gentle smile was sent his way. “Oh, I slept fine. I woke up a few times though. Did you sleep alright? You were moving around quite a bit.”

Jack glanced down and noticed that his fundoshi was only as disheveled as could be expected from a night of sleep. And there was something decidedly sticky going on in there. He swallowed and hoped Rue couldn’t suddenly read minds. Had he had a wet dream about his friend? And how much could he blame on that potion? Because - and oh, how it mortified him to admit it - he had enjoyed it. He hadn’t called her ‘mistress’ in the dream. Was that an indication of how much his real self had co-operated with it?

Rue seemed to have caught on that something was different. She moved toward him and leaned forward, placing a hand against his forehead. “You look better today. More focused. Maybe the potion is wearing off.”

Don’t look down, please! Jack was mentally begging, hoping that Rue wouldn’t catch on to what had happened during the night. He could already feel the potion claiming dominance over him once more, evidenced by the mounting surge of panic he experienced as she walked to the door. He begged her to stay, before sighing. It would probably be another long, hard day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm a terrible person, but it's a slow burn for a reason <3


	13. Shaman Versus Witch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rue shows she'd picked up a few tricks from Aku and Jack drinks a peppery potion.
> 
> Thanks again to Kaukze for telling me which parts needed more details. They're doing the most amazing job <3 And thank you to everyone who has left a kudos, comment or bookmarked this, you're all so encouraging and wonderful <3
> 
> I am officially one thesis and one exam away from graduation, seeing as how I passed a presentation last week. Which also means I'll have to start job-hunting soon (hahahaha, I don't even know what continent I'll be working on yet).  
> I have been considering - and I can't stress the considering enough - of maybe starting a Patreon for my writing. If people have tips on the what and how of that site, advice would be appreciated ><
> 
> On a different note, would you guys appreciate future update announcements via Twitter? I'll start doing them for the next update, so just add me @ReaderMaru if you'd like update alerts that way!
> 
> This chapter is the second to last chapter in the 'Reverse DID' arc. Feel free to wonder about what the next arc might be called ^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who skipped last chapter, I would like to assure you that 1) all smut will be labeled as 'Interlude' in the future, and that it will never be essential to the plot and that 2) there was no drug-induced actual sex during the last chapter.

The next morning the Scotsman was, if not scandalized, at the very least extremely peeved to find the two of them together in her room. Jack’s partial state of undress made it even more clear that she might have been up to no good. Rue spent the better half of the day arguing that she’d made no attempts on Jack’s virtue at all. These attempts were heavily contradicted by Jack, who insisted on pulling her close to him the entire time. 

It was a downright relief when they finally reached witch Hazelina’s log. It was a rather huge affair, more an uprooted tree than an actual log. Rue wrapped her arms around her waist as the Scotsman banged on a piece of wood which was, as they guessed, a door. Before long a wiry woman well into her forties stuck her head out of a hole, peering at them over half-moon glasses. Her hair, which Rue supposed had originally been black, was streaked in muted rainbow colors. “What? I don’t do refunds!” 

“Do you do antidotes?” Rue inquired, her voice half-caught in her throat. The smell that wafted from the open window was sickly sweet and sour at the same time. Not to mention the small clouds were colored a peach color. 

The witch popped something small and brown in her mouth, chewing it while observing the three of them. Her eyes rested on Jack’s sword and the Scotsman’s leg. Reaching a conclusion she swallowed and smiled thinly. “Depends on what you need the antidote for.” Her voice was raspy, as if she had spent weeks to long over smoking cauldrons.

Rue pulled out the bottle with the love potion. “My friend here got a pretty heavy dose from this here. You made it.” 

Hazelina peered through her glasses and let out a whistle. “Y’know dearie, I distinctly remember telling you that half a spoon is more than enough to ensure at least three months of devotion. You gave him enough for a good decade or so.” 

Rue set her hands on her hips. “Well, this is the first time I came here, so it’s quite funny you remember telling me that.” 

“No need to shout. I recognize the dress. Aren’t you queen Selene?” the with asked, eying the dress without bothering to look at Rue’s face. 

The latter stomped a foot on the ground. “I am not queen Selene. But she is the one who drugged my friend here, and I would very much like him to become undrugged. This instant.” 

The witch considered her companions again and this time seemed to recognize Jack. “My my, so that’s the one that silly little queen had her eyes on. And now he’s got a thing for you? Well, might as well come in and make yourself comfortable. We’ll discuss business.” 

The inside of the log smelled of wet wood, smoke, and enough herbs to medicate a small village. The inside room was surprisingly tidy; clutter had been kept to a minimum, and every jar and pot in sight was labelled with bright purple and pink labels. Herbs and dried flowers hung in rows from the ceiling, and a long-haired cat quickly walked past them. There were three cauldrons lined up near the windows, only one of them active. Rue found herself seated on a cramped sofa between the Scotsman and Jack, who both kept a close eye on her rather than on Hazelina. When she asked the Scotsman why he’d gone so quiet he just glanced at the witch while she prepared a few mugs of tea. “Ye don’t mess ‘round with witches. That’s women territory. My dear wife wouldn’t stand fer it.” 

Which meant it all came down to her. In the past few days, she’d had to be social enough either way. This was the last stop on the road. She could do it. The trio accepted the mugs of tea and as one man put them down, cups clinking on porcelain platters. Having one of them under the influence of a witches’ spell was enough. None of them failed to note that Hazelina poured her own drink from a different container. 

After a few swallows, the witch looked at the three of them, her light green eyes glinting behind her glasses. “Well then, I’ll be supposing you would like an antidote?” 

“That’s right,” Rue replied when it became clear the Scotsman was serious about this being a woman’s business. “The sooner the better.” 

“And what do you expect you’ll be doing about payment?” Hazelina asked. 

Rue fumbled in her backpack, pulling out the piece of plastic that had gotten her this far. The moment the witch laid eyes on it, she started to laugh wildly. “Oh, you can’t possibly think I’ll be accepting that! I don’t have any way to get that money. No, I want something else. But before we discuss a price, tell me why you would want him changed? You have the great samurai Jack, dying to do whatever you want him to do. Millions of women would kill to be in your shoes.” 

Rue folded her hands into fists, placing them firmly on her thighs. Next to her Jack soothingly rubbed circles over her back. “I want him changed to his real self. This isn’t Jack. I want my friend back, and you’re going to do it. Now, there’s obviously something you want instead of money. Name it.” 

Hazelina peered at her over the rim of her cup. “You’re a sharp little miss. Very well, there are two things I want.” 

Rue raised her eyebrows, waiting for the price to be named. 

“First thing, I want that dress.” 

Rue glanced down at the dress before shrugging. “Deal, as long as you can give me something to wear in return.” 

“My my, determined girl you are. Giving up your dress so easily to have a man fall out of love with you. Very well then, for my second request… I want his sword.” 

Rue straightened her back so quickly several joints popped. “No!” 

The witch drank some more of her own tea, her light eyes glinting in the candlelight. “If I bring that sword to Aku, he shall give me everything my heart desires. If you want back the real Jack, you give up the sword. If you don’t give up the sword, you can simply have some fun with him as he is now.” 

Rue met the witches’ stare over the wooden table. She disliked that little half-smile the woman wore, along with how she thought herself so clever. Hadn’t she dragged herself around creation enough to get Jack back? Slowly, determined, she moved forward, leaning over the table. She placed her hands on the glossy surface with a glare. “You can’t have the sword. And you will make the antidote.” 

Hazelina leaned back, wiping her multi-colored hair back with one hand. Her fingertips were different colors as well, from the working with herbs. The smile on her face was pretty full of herself. “Such demands, for such a little miss. Who are you, to think you can defy a full-fledged witch? Haven't you heard we turn people into frogs?” 

“I am his friend,” Rue stated coldly, placing her hand on Jack’s knee for a second before standing up straight. She raised her chin, glaring down on the witch that defied her. “And I am a shaman if you need to feel as if we are on equal standing.” 

The witch waved a hand in the air. “Pheh, shamans. Talking with the dead. The power of words is all you have, and you think you can take it up against someone who mixes nature itself to her will.” 

Next, to Rue the Scotsman uttered something that could have been a whimper; if meddling in a woman’s business was trouble, meddling with magic women was off the charts. The clerk picked up her mug of tea and noted the smile the witch tried to suppress as she did so. Casually she leaned back in her seat, keeping one hand casually on Jack’s knee. 

She had seen Aku deal with subjects sometimes. There were showings enough of him proclaiming judgment on supposed criminals. She mimicked the smile he usually wore right before he announced the death sentence. The witch flinched. Rue pretended not to notice, instead stroking a finger across Jack’s cheek. His skin was warm underneath her touch, his eyes filled with unconditional adoration. The power of words, the witch had said. 

“You said that he would do my every bidding as long as he’s under the influence of the potion. If you’re so certain a witch is stronger than a shaman, I can’t say if you’re right or wrong. But I do know Jack can defeat you any day of the week.”  
Rue locked eyes with the witch again, and this time her smile came easier. “Tell me, witch. Do you really want me to use my words to unleash the samurai on you?” 

Hazelina paled, grabbing the armrests of her chair in a fright. Her teacup fell to the ground with a loud thud. “You wouldn’t!” 

“Wouldn’t I? Here’s the deal, witch Hazelina. You make an antidote for your love potion 10.2 and give me free choice of your wardrobe. In return, I’ll give you the dress and you can live another day. You’ll note I’ve been quite merciful in my terms.” Rue placed the cup of tea back on the table, sliding it gently toward the witch. “Of course, if the terms are unpleasing to you, feel free to have a taste of your own medicine.” 

Hazelina’s eyes dropped to the cup and back to Rue’s eyes. “You knew?” 

“You did what I would do. If you drink that, Jack will still be under my control. If you make the antidote, you take a weapon from my hands.” 

The two women exchanged a long, cold, calculating stare over the table. The Scotsman twitched violently in his seat. Neither of them blinked, rather like cats who were staking out their territories. When Hazelina attempted another conceited half-smile, Rue raised one eyebrow. The sound of a cauldron bubbling over became louder in the background. Somewhere a frog ribbited loudly for help. Eventually, the witch blinked and stood up. “Wait then. It shall be done in half a day.” 

“Hazelina,” Rue halted her. When the witch looked behind her, Rue pointed at the Scotsman with one half-curled finger. “If something should happen to Jack that makes me think you are behind it, we will be back. Think very carefully about whether your potions can stop bullets or the edge of a blade while you make that antidote. And point me to your closet, while you’re at it.” 

Hours passed in which Rue rummaged through Hazelina’s closet while the witch muttered darkly over her cauldron. It soon became apparent that the witch accepted clothes most often as an alternate form of payment. Rue found various styles of clothing in every imaginable color or pattern. Eventually, she managed to dig up a pair of loose cotton pants and a matching shirt. The earthy brown tones did more to reassure her than the silvery dress had done. After that, there wasn’t much left to do but sit around and wait for the witch to finish brewing. They didn’t even have something to drink other than the poisoned tea. Jack played with her hand, caressing it gently, while the Scotsman snorted every time he laid eyes on the two of them. The man eventally pulled a pack of cards out of his pockets, offering to teach her a few games. Rue accepted, though she didn't need much teaching; cards were one of the favored pastimes at her former workplace.

Time grated on her nerves. Every time something plopped in the cauldron, every time the witch snorted or coughed was a nail dragged along her soul. All she wanted was for Jack to be healed again. If he was his normal self-things would become right again. Her time with him had made her aware of a sense of justice so overpowering it threatened to send her to her knees. She carefully ignored her original reason for staying with him. One thing at a time, she decided. Right now her priority was getting her friend back. She tried to ignore the feeling that the sword was somehow reproaching her for her thoughts. 

Finally, the witch poured a spoonful of glistening purple liquid in an empty teacup. Then she splashed in something that decidedly did not smell like tea but more like something that would neatly kill off any and all germs in the direct vicinity. The liquid made Rue’s eyes water from a distance. 

“All done,” Hazelina announced, approaching her waiting costumers. The liquid in the teacup gently splashed with every small step she took. Yet she did not spill a single drop. Finally, she put it on the table in front of Rue, who eyed it with suspicion. She didn’t like the look of the drink, but she didn’t like the look of anything in this place. The witch continued, barely a strain in her voice. “It’ll cure him, right as rain. No side-effects, apart from a little steam.” 

Rue nodded. Her tongue felt plastered against the roof of her mouth. She was doing this for Jack’s own good. That she kind of liked the worship wasn’t important at this moment. And kind of liking something wasn’t the same as being completely at ease with it anyway. She managed to get her tongue unstuck from the rest of her mouth. “Jack, if you’d be so kind as to drink the… potion?” She had wanted to say tea, before realizing that was entirely the wrong word for whatever was in the teacup. 

“Of course, Rue,” Jack agreed easily with her. Without so much as flinching, he raised the cup to his mouth and threw it all back in one fluid motion. Tears sprang to his eyes, but when he looked at her it was with eyes containing gratitude, not blind devotion. 

|Jack| 

The instant he tasted the potion a wildfire spread through his veins. A vague part of his mind realized that obsession could only be burnt out of the system, reduced to ashes and cinders so it could never come back again. The taste was pungent and brought tears to his eyes, scalding his throat and warming his belly. He thought steam must be sizzling from his ears. He made sure to swallow every drop. 

Following the fire came a feeling of clarity he hadn’t experienced since the day he and Rue had been separated. The acute absence of obsession was nearly a blow to his stomach as he inhaled deeply. The spiced air which would have repulsed him any other day was now a sweet balm. He looked at Rue and felt a grateful smile tug at the corner of his mouth. “Thank you, miss Rue… Rue.” 

This time she didn’t blush; his behavior of the past few days had obviously worn down some of her natural reserves. Her blue eyes sparkled before she directed her gaze to the ground. Shuffling her feet she mumbled something that could have meant ‘it was nothing’. The witch made a gagging sound before the Scotsman clapped Jack on his back. 

“Laddy, yer back! Good to see yer not so moon-eyed anymore, I was rightly worried for ya!” 

“I feel fine now. Thank you for your assistance,” Jack said with warmth in his voice. His hand was crushed in a handshake while the Scotsman picked up both Jack and ‘the wee stick that rescued ya’, walking out of the log house with great stomps. Behind the leaving trio, the witch sighed in great relief as she closed the door. 

Outside Jack quickly patted down his clothing, relieved to find that everything of his usual outfit was still in one place. The white horse softly neighed when it spotted him, and Jack was reminded of everything that had led up to this point. He turned back to Rue, who seemed to be losing the mentality that had made her such a force to be reckoned with in the past days. “Rue… could we possibly have a word?” 

Rue nodded, shuffling her feet while she folded her hands behind her back. The Scotsman looked over her shoulder, watching Jack expectantly. The samurai coughed once. “In private, if it were possible?” 

The Scotsman looked between the two of them before shrugging and walking over to the horse. The animal whinnied in a slight panic, watching the loud man come closer. Jack turned back to Rue and suddenly found that shyness could be contagious. The memory of all he had done in the past few days didn’t make things any better. 

“I’m sorry!” 

“I apologize for,” 

Both of them blinked in surprise and made a new false start before Jack motioned for Rue to go first. It was probably best to let her talk while she felt herself capable of doing so. “I’m sorry. If I had paid better attention during my watch this wouldn’t have happened.” 

“Even so, you came to my aid, did you not?” he reassured her. He would eventually have escaped, of that there was no doubt. It was simply a sheer stroke of luck that Rue had tapped inside her inner strengths and had done such a marvelous job. In light of that heroism, there was one thing he still had to apologize for. “I feel I should apologize to you. My behavior these past few days has been atrocious and unseemly at the best, and simply unforgivable at the worst. I assure you I would never be so-” 

“In love?” the Scotsman ventured from a distance. 

“-insistent,” Jack finished his sentence with only a slight quiver in his voice. “…had I not been under a spell. I should have fought it harder.” For once he was certain he matched Rue’s light red hue. It had just been that overwhelming feeling of happiness, of seeing her safe. He remembered his obsession with her clearly, that feeling of utter desire at pressing his lips against hers. He couldn’t quite bring himself to say it. 

“Oh no… I mean, yes, but, all things considered… it was kind of… you were…” Rue mumbled and by pure chance looked straight into his eyes. 

Nervously he coughed and turned toward the horse. “We should go.” His heart was thumping wildly in his chest and he hoped it was merely an after-effect from the potion. “We should get moving. Right now.” 

Rue’s footsteps sounded behind him, caught between a shuffle and an awkward run. The potion had worked, of that much he was sure. But somehow the thought that had gotten him so enchanted in the first place still bounced around in his head, insistent of turning his world upside down. He observed as the woman took the white horse by the reins and gently steered it toward the barely existing gravel path. Rue was still alive, and he thanked the gods for that from the bottom of his heart. And, he added quietly, it would be nice if it could stop beating quite so hard at the sight of her.


	14. Debts and Consent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which another wedding is managed, the gang plays a card game and Rue and Jack have a little chat. It also heralds the coming arc : "Betrayal".
> 
> Thanks again for Kaukze for editing (and congrats on the graduation, I'm sure you did great <3)
> 
> Peeps, I just sent in my resume to a mobile game company, in hopes of maybe getting hired and getting to write game storylines! Wish me luck! Again, thanks to everyone for their super kind comments and the kudos, I love all of you <3  
> Oh, and enjoy watching the last episode when it comes out! I'll only be able to watch a day after it airs, but that's okay.
> 
> Follow me on Twitter for when chapter updates happen @ReaderMaru (or because you want to talk about the story, I don't bite)  
> Or follow me on Tumblr for a taste of my atrocious sense of humor : moonsenvoy.tumblr.com

Rue sat down at the edge of the slowly moving river, ignoring the conversation the two men were having. She had something else to mull about; the dictionary defined it as ‘to touch with the lips especially as a mark of affection or greeting’. There was nothing in there about any awkward feelings that could occur afterward. Heck, even in their biology classes they’d glossed over it, mentioning it as something some species did. A kiss was not considered, on the whole, as something extremely exceptional. Not in Aku’s world, at least. 

 

It did not, strictly speaking, matter in her world either. She had not been selected as one of the women who would carry on her species, meaning her sex ed had been basic and restricted to the twenty-five most occurring species in this solar system. She hadn’t been expected to be celibate for her entire life, but neither had there been an expectation of her finding a partner. The thought of kissing anyone had been, on any and all occasions, rather fleeting, like a daydream dissolving before it was formed. 

 

So why did Jack’s kiss bother her this much? She splashed cold water on her face, hoping it would miraculously bring some clarity with it. When it failed to do so, she stood and turned around, facing the camp fire again. Dragging her heels, she walked back to the men.   
They had made camp at a spot that was close to the river, but far enough to spare them the worst of mosquitoes. Once Jack had been cured, their main priority had been to get away from the swamp and any possible soldiers that might suddenly have the bright idea to look for them there. The Scotsman said he had business to do around the area they were moving toward, and so had gladly accompanied them for a while longer. 

Rue sat down slowly, forming the last part of their triangle around the fire. She had missed sitting near a fire at night, almost as much as she’d missed having someone to talk to before she went to sleep. It was a rare luxury, and not one she’d ever considered freely available. And yet, these two men gladly involved her in their conversations. As she threw a few twigs on the fire, she caught the tail end of their current one. 

“An’ that’s why ye wrestle down a large fish, without any hoity-toity fancy tricks!” 

“Perhaps, but I’ve always found it useful to do it in my way. Ah, Rue. Are you alright?” Jack asked her when he saw she’d made herself comfortable on the ground. 

Rue looked up and immediately regretted the eye contact. “I-I-I’m fine. Totally fine. Dandy, even!” Gods, this was even worse than when she’d first met him. How many assassins had kissed their supposed target? 

The Scotsman glanced between the two of them and grinned. “So, samurai, you gonna fill in an old friend on how the two of you met? I never pegged you as the type to pick up lassies for the ride.” 

Jack cleared his throat and shifted where he sat. “Well, the time I met Rue was when I offered to escort her to another town. There were rumors about another time portal in that area, so that is where I was headed.” He glanced at Rue to see if she had something to say about it. 

“Oh, yes, that’s correct. I don’t think I would have lasted for an hour without Jack to keep me safe on that road. And seeing the temple and the water mirror was a very special experience,” Rue piped up, picking and choosing her words carefully. Of all moments to betray herself, this might have been the most dangerous yet. 

“Oh, so I guess you’re feeling mighty grateful to my boy here, yeah?” the Scotsman asked her. 

Now, this was a subject she felt more comfortable with. “Of course!” 

“An’ that’s why ya ran headfirst into a castle to save him, right?” 

“Yes!” 

“An’ it’s why ya didn’t toss him headfirst out of your bedroom last night?” 

“Ye- I… well, you see. We’re… good friends. And because of the potion, y’see, I didn’t want to be mean to Jack. And we have shared a room before, so it wasn’t much of an adjustment,” Rue scrambled for reasons that would distinctly not give the impression she’d had tried to seduce her friend. Which was the truth, but she felt it was necessary to say it nonetheless. She also thought that perhaps she was not making as strong a case as she’d been hoping. 

The Scotsman’s grin grew wider. “So you don’t think he’s handsome?” 

“I…” Rue gaped with an open mouth, looking at Jack and his friend in an increasing panic. “He’s handsome,” she squeaked out, hoping this would be the end of the topic. The night suddenly felt hotter and she looked around for something to fan herself with. Next, to her, Jack extended a flask of water, which she gratefully accepted. 

“Perhaps you should stop teasing her, my friend?” Jack suggested with a little tightness in his voice that usually wasn’t there. He looked to be as embarrassed about the subject as she was. 

The Scotsman glanced between the both of them as if he’d stumbled upon a secret that he hadn’t been looking for, but which made life infinitely better. With an exaggerated wink, his attention shifted to Jack. “Oh, of course, buddy. I’ll let your wee lass be. I was just extremely worried for yer decency last night.” 

|Jack|   
Jack bit his tongue to hold back a yelp. No, his friend could not read minds, and he was not in danger of being discovered for indecent thoughts. At least he hoped that was the case. “No, Rue would never take advantage of me.” And a little voice asked him, _wasn’t that a shame?_ Pressing his lips in a tight smile, he pushed that little voice down, down to where he couldn’t hear it. 

The Scotsman grinned at Jack’s sudden consternation and pulled out a pack of cards. “You two up for a game?” 

A few minutes later, Jack examined his two friends over the rim of his cards. Truth be told, he didn’t understand much of this particular game - for example, where a fish came into play - but it seemed to be something both Rue and the Scotsman seemed to be very familiar with. Rue, in particular, seemed to very good at the game, managing to win two rounds out of three. With glee, she collected her winnings - a variety of smooth pebbles they’d collected from the riverbank. While cards were dealt for a new round, she amused herself with building what seemed to be a small tower. 

“Building anything in particular?” he asked her, while the Scotsman mumbled something about needing a drink. The tall man walked towards the horse, leaving the two to talk for a few seconds. 

“My former workplace,” she answered, absent-minded. “It’s hard building the hanging bridges with pebbles though.” With a jolt, she seemed to realize what she’d said. “Not that I miss the place or anything. It’s just that I spent so much time there.” 

With a familiarity that had become second nature, he reached over and gently tucked one of the lowest pebbles into place, saving the construction from collapsing in on itself. The soft dirt ground did not provide enough support for the obviously large building Rue was trying to construct. In the same moment, Rue moved her hand to steady herself as she looked over her structure. Her slim finger brushed by the side of his hand, and he pulled back quicker than was strictly necessary. 

To avoid eye contact, he returned to his cards. Next, to him, Rue gave no indication of having noticed anything unusual. When the Scotsman plunked down near the fire once more, Jack allowed his oldest friend to carry the conversation as he thought. 

Jack had two things to agonize about. The first, which unbeknown to him also plagued Rue, was the kiss he had pretty much forced on her while being drugged. This he could in some ways explain as completely outside of his control, and if it hadn’t happened he might have ended up as Selene’s husband for who knew how long. Rue had managed to handle the situation admirably, even if in some spots she could have been more strict. He couldn’t really expect her to have tied him up or slapped him; she was in reality far too sweet for something like that. 

He had seen enough of the world to know that some cultures didn’t bestow much importance on a kiss. During his training, he had often been welcomed with open arms and the occasional kiss, on the cheek or the mouth. During one particular welcoming, he’d been punched in the jaw so hard, he’d spun a circle. And now, with Rue, he just wasn’t sure what she thought about it. She was always a bit jumpy. 

No, the second thing he agonized about was, he feared, mostly his own fault. Then again, maybe it wasn’t. It was hard to know exactly where the line ended between what the potion had wanted him to think, and what he really had been thinking. He had not wanted to go to Rue’s bedroom that night. He hadn’t wanted to sleep next to her.   
But he couldn’t deny that he had enjoyed the dream. He’d enjoyed it so much that for a few brief moments he had been free from the potion. 

“To be fair, I thought you’d be giving my boy more trouble. Turns out you’re rather useful in a pinch!” The Scotsman praised Rue and slapped her on the back, sending all her cards flying around. She plucked exactly two from the air and held them closely to her face, a vain effort to hide an oncoming blush. 

“I’m sure that Jackie here feels the same way, right?” 

Jack looked at her with a smile and a nod. “You were very capable, Rue. You’ve learned much in these past months.” 

The Scotsman rested his head on his hand, breathing out a dreamy sigh. “Just wait till I tell my beautiful wife about what happened. Oh, she loves hearing me tell romantic stories.” 

“Romantic?” Rue asked while Jack had seen where this was going. His friend was so extremely obvious about this entire thing and Jack did not want to discuss… events… with Rue with a third party listening. 

“A woman going to a castle to save her prince,” the Scotsman continued, visibly pleased that she was going along with him. “And at the end, you both rode into the sunset, on a white horse. My darling angel will be so impressed with ye, I’ve no doubt.” 

Dear Rue had decided to take things literally, as she glanced at Jack with a question in her eyes. “I don’t remember driving into the sunset. As far as I remember, it was a swamp filled with mosquitoes and toads.” 

“When you tell the tale to yer children, it’s best to liven up the scenery a bit. And find a place for me as well in there, as the best man at your upcoming wed-” 

“Does anybody have a five?” Jack asked loudly, diverting the conversation from where it was heading. Sadly for him, Rue had caught on to the Scotsman’s ideas and this time the question in her eyes was very obvious. “Later,” he whispered to her, while the Scotsman loudly ruminated over his cards. 

“Which reminds me,” the red-haired man started, with a gleam in his eyes. “My baby sister is getting married next month, and I’m rounding up the cousins for the party. You’re practically one of us, Jack! You should come and pay a visit, everyone’s going to be pleased to see ya. And Rue here can come too, I’m sure it’d be a good learning experience for her.” 

“Learning experience for what?” Rue asked, sitting up straighter. 

“Well, there’s gonna be food, and the girls will surely have something to teach ye. Oh, and you could have a talk with the shaman. I expect he’d be right pleased with some attention from someone with the same background.” 

“There’s a shaman?” 

“Best in the area! Whaddaya both say?” 

Rue glanced at Jack, who nodded. It would be a nice experience, and he was very flattered to be included in such an event. If anything, the offer spoke of their long-standing friendship. “It would be our honor.”   
——————— 

When ‘later’ arrived, night had fully blanketed itself over their little camp. Crickets chirped in the distance and the river gently murmured by, while their horse and the Scotsman rivaled for the loudest snore. Jack had a bit of trouble hearing any of it, as currently his heart was loudly thumping in his ears. As far as peaceful nights went, this was truly one of the most stressful. 

“So,” Rue started, her eyes gliding once toward the sleeping Scotsman, indicating who the subject of her next sentence would be. There was a flicker of amethyst in her eyes before the regular blue color reigned once more. “Does he think…? What I mean to say is… what does he think exactly? Because the one time he makes it sound like you’re my babysitter, and then suddenly I sound like a pervert, and… I don’t know.” 

“He thinks that I am courting you,” Jack said slowly, determined to not break out in an awkward squeak in the middle of his sentence. He had, of course, done nothing of the sort. He had merely protected Rue, offering his assistance and after a certain point, his friendship. That she had accepted and returned both, he now counted as one of his greatest fortunes. 

She nodded, the fire making her skin glow in warm, orange tones. “I thought it was something like that.” Then, unexpectedly, she smiled as if she were happy about the situation. “That means he kind of likes me, no?” 

Not the direction he had expected the conversation to go. “What?” 

“If he thinks it’s not a bad thing that ‘us’ could happen,” she clarified, while Jack felt his stomach flip at the word ‘us’. “It means that I might have a future after all.” 

“You make yourself sound so hopeless, even after your impressive adventure. Don’t put yourself down,” Jack reassured her, placing a hand on her shoulder. 

Rue nodded, her owns hands clasped around the silver medallion around her neck. She looked away from him, at the campfire. “Do you think that… sometimes… there’s a different way to fulfill a debt to someone? That, if a person asks you to do something, and you don’t feel comfortable with it, it’s okay to propose a different way?” 

There was something heavy surrounding the question. Something heavy and almost unpleasant, judging from the way Rue’s face had become serious. “When you fulfill a debt, it should happen in a way acceptable to both parties.” 

The corner of her mouth pulled upward, a quick flicker of amusement. “I thought you’d say something like that. I’ve learned a lot from you, you know. About honor, and caring about others… how to survive, even if for a little while.” 

“I’m happy to hear you say that.” And it was true, he was. He had not expected to find someone willing and able to accompany him, and yet Rue had hung in there. And then suddenly, Rue hugged him. Out of reflex, he placed his arms on her back, patting her. She whispered a thank you in his ear, arms pressing a little tighter around him. When she let go, he felt a little colder and a little warmer at the same time. And she looked more confident as if she had made an important decision that had been haunting her for a while. 

“Rue, I feel I must apologize,” And he should do it now before his apologies became more awkward as time passed. “When you came to rescue me, I kissed you. And that was not something that you wanted. That was also an instance where consent was important, and you did not give it.” 

Her lips formed an ‘o’ as the words caught her by surprise. “It wasn’t your choice either, Jack. You weren’t in control of yourself then.” 

“It certainly wasn’t your fault,” he started to protest. He could not allow her to take the blame when he could, maybe, have held himself in check better. 

Rue shook her head, her hair glowing like an ember in the dying firelight. “It wasn’t yours either. So don’t beat yourself up over it.” She shifted where she sat, before holding out a hand. “It’s not your fault, and not mine either. And, if it’s okay for you, we could pretend like it never happened?” 

Could a way out really be presented so easily? But Rue looked at him with an expectant look, her smile determined and certain. He doubted he could forget the experience. But he carefully took her hand in his, and he knew that for her sake, he could certainly pretend.


	15. A Truth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack finds out things he would be happier not knowing, and in which Rue only begins to realize how much trouble she's in.
> 
> Are you all holding up okay? Jack may have ended as a series, but this fic still has a while to go, so I'm hoping that's a consolation to everyone. We've now officially entered the 'Betrayal' arc, which is one of my favorites. Who am I kidding, all the arcs are my favorites. A content warning for the entire arc : violence and feels ahead. If you're kind of iffy about blood or Aku being a manipulative bastard, please let me know and I'll add warnings to those parts.
> 
> Thanks for the bookmarks, the kudos and the comments <3 You're all amazing <3
> 
> PS : Kaukze is an amazing human being.  
> PPS : Help me, I rediscovered Nightcrawler and he's perfect.
> 
> Last note : follow me on Tumblr where my username is MoonsEnvoy, or follow me on Twitter @ReaderMaru for tweets about updates ^^

After a while, the Scotsman had taken his leave from them, but not before reminding them the wedding would be in a month, and they ought to arrive a few days before to get settled in. He took the horse with him on Jack's request, to Rue's relief. The horse may have helped them in the past adventure, but she couldn't help but be wary around a creature with such imposing teeth. If it wanted, it could probably take a chink clean out of her. 

With the departure of the Scotsman, their conversations had lost a certain amount of their carefree quality. Jack was still getting used to the fact that he had not only kissed her but that Rue had found it to be an experience which seemed to be not that important. Rue was coping with the kiss as well and found it increasingly difficult to actually make any move that would prove detrimental to Jack’s health. By now at least four opportunities had presented themselves where she could have easily poisoned him. After their fairytale adventure, he trusted her so unconditionally, at times he even asked her to hold his sword if he needed more mobility than usual. 

Rue felt more like a failed assassin than ever before. She wanted to confess her treachery to Jack but didn’t know how. And with every day that passed, he would feel the betrayal a bit more keenly. If he ever spoke to Aku - and he would, they would meet sooner rather than later - there was no guarantee Aku wouldn’t spill the beans. But telling him might ruin this strange friendship they had built so far. 

When the attack came she had been engrossed in her mental duel. It was sudden, a shadow swooping at them from the surrounding forest. Before she’d taken another step it swirled around her ankle, pulling her on the ground. After that, she was held there, probably to the relief of Jack. He sliced the shadows around him, the dark tendrils flying around them. The one holding her down burned in the skin of her bare ankle. It brought tears to her eyes. Desperately she tried to pull herself loose. 

“Stay still, if you wish to live,” a dry voice ordered her. 

Dread froze her veins in fear. If this guy was who she thought he was, Jack was in big trouble. The darker it was, the stronger the shadows became. Nobody could fight living darkness unless they possessed something made of pure light. She wasn’t sure if Jack’s sword would be a match for it. Even worse, the sun had almost set. If night was upon them it would engulf them both in a torrent. “Jack, run!” 

At the sound of her scream, he moved toward her instead of running. 

“No, run, Jack! You can’t beat him. He’ll kill you!” 

The sun set, and darkness engulfed them both. When she opened her eyes again she lay next to a barely burning fire. In front of her, Jack lay staring at the fire, gagged. Judging from his position he was bound. She shifted, expecting to find herself equally treated. Instead, she found her hands unbound, her feet free to move. The dark shadow in front of her moved as well, two dark red eyes focusing on her. They were the only parts of the body that weren't black. Each time her eyes landed on a different body part, it seemed that it was even darker than she'd thought. The light of the fire didn't wholly extend to this creature.

“You’re awake,” the Shade observed, sounding like branches snapping in the dead of night. “Master Aku told me he wished you alive if possible.” 

“I see,” Rue answered, sitting up straight. She was acutely aware of Jack’s eyes on her. The bafflement in them would probably soon be replaced by reproach, anger, and hate. “Did he mention why?” 

“He does not need to explain himself to us. Now sit while I regain my strength,” the Shade reminded her. Duly reproached she nodded. Her short time with the samurai had led her to think more of herself than she ought to. She sat up, meeting eyes with Jack. The light of the fire glinted in his eyes. The realization was beginning to dawn there.

"How did you find u-... me?" Rue ventured, mind racing with ways on how to get out of this situation.

"Tales of a samurai being stolen from a castle travel quickly. At least you did everything in your power to let others know where you were headed; anyone with motiviation could sniff out a trail like that." The Shade paused, taking a breath that should not have sounded so ominously. "Any more questions?" The tone in which it spoke was not exactly inviting.

“What happens next?” she asked, aware of how easily the Shade could kill her. She was all too well aware that if the creature willed it, shadow would come to life around her and she'd drown in blackness. Being killed by a Shade was a terrible way to go. Nobody envied that fate.

The sigh sounded like brittle fall leaves. “I deliver the samurai to our lord and collect the reward. You will be punished for not poisoning him like your orders were. Perhaps you will be allowed to watch as he is skinned alive. Or boiled or whatever they intend to do with him.” 

|Jack| 

Betrayed, again. He should have been used to the feeling by now. Instead, it was a new wound torn in his heart. The thing that stung most was perhaps that he had truly believed her to be innocent. She had been so shy, stuttering and blushing. Instead, she was an assassin, sent to end him. He had protected her. He had believed that perhaps she was a friend. A companion. Judging from the way his stomach squeezed the pain ran deeper than he would have expected. 

“I heard that master Aku likes to disembowel those that have grieved him most,” Rue said in a conversational tone. So that was her true nature. A bloodthirsty serpent- like all others who had come to kill him. He closed his eyes as she tossed more wood on the fire, lest the sparks blind him. When he opened them again she was searching through the small satchel that belonged to him. 

“True… it’s quite a spectacle. Personally, I like pulling the veins from their flesh, but that’s a long process. I hear it’s best not to let the samurai live for too long. What are you doing?” 

“Making tea,” Rue answered, pulling out the small packet of tea leaves. “I might as well have something pleasant to drink while you regain your strength.” 

“Pleasant, you say?” the shape asked her, the shadows rearranging as if he was making himself comfortable. 

Rue filled a small kettle with water, putting it on the fire. “I enjoy it as much as you enjoy pulling out veins. Something hot is very restorative on a night such as this anyway.” 

“I’ll have some then. You may serve me,” the voice rasped against the night air. 

Rue nodded, turning back to his satchel. “Drat, no sugar. Must be on him. He’s a sweet tooth.” 

The traitor walked over to him, patting over his chest. With a frustrated grunt, she patted on his chest, before moving around to his back. Something hard fell right into his hands, drawing blood. Her hands went back to his chest, dipping into the folds and coming back with something that had definitely not been in there before. “Found it!” 

Retrieving two mugs she poured the tea, sending steaming tendrils into the cool night air. Smiling she poured the white powder in one of the mugs before presenting it to the shade. “Drink up!” 

There was hesitance. Jack concentrated on moving the tiny peeling knife across his bindings, hoping the Shade wouldn’t pay attention to him. When the silence continued, Rue broke the silence. “Is there a problem?” 

“You seem awfully anxious to have me drink this, little miss,” the voice hissed over every ‘s’, drawing them out like a snake would have done. “I’ll take one without sugar.” 

Rue shrugged, taking the next cup. She poured in the tea with a flourish, accidentally knocking over her own cup in the process. “Clumsy me!” 

“Refill it,” the voice commanded. 

Jack felt the bonds loosen. But still not quick enough. By now he’d caught on to Rue’s intent, but if he was too late she would poison herself as well. Did he want to stop that? The question was too complicated to contemplate, so instead, he focused on getting loose. 

Meanwhile, she first rinsed out the cup, claiming she didn’t want to drink dirt. After that, she refilled it from the kettle and brought it to her mouth. 

“You forgot your sugar,” the voice reminded her sweetly. 

She blinked, bringing the cup back down. “You’re right. How silly of me.” She added a generous amount of white powder to her cup, swirling it around to dissolve it. With a big smile, she raised it high. “To master Aku. May he reign for as long as he deserves.” 

In two swallows she downed the contents. Jack’s heart turned to ice. Had she drunk her own poison? The smile on her face didn’t fade. Had he detected a twitch? He needed to ask her why she’d done it. Why had she betrayed him? Why had she saved him? 

“You’re not drinking. I can finish it for you if you like,” Rue offered, reaching out over the fire. The shade pulled back the cup. 

“I’m curious about this. And you aren’t the sort to betray the master.” Before those words were cold the figure downed the contents. “This is quite good.” 

“See, I told you so,” Rue said cheerfully, jumping up and walking over to the satchels again. Calmly she searched through her own bag, every once in a while pulling something out while saying ‘aha’ before she put it back. But she was waiting. Jack knew that pose from many an animal. When the Shade started to choke she didn’t waste time faking concern. No, she grabbed his sword and ran toward him. “Hurry!” 

In response he jumped up, holding out his hand. Her feet were swiped from underneath her. With a screech, she threw the sword towards him. He barely grabbed it, pulling it out of the sheath before having decided what to do. 

|Rue| 

The Shade burned the skin on her legs again, squeezing and grinding around her sensitive calves. A moist, hot breath behind her promised she’d regret her betrayal. Had Jack caught the sword? Did he run away? She hoped he had. It would spare her the trouble of an awkward conversation. Then again, it would most likely also save her the trouble of being alive. She caught a flash of sandaled feet rushing past her with their familiar clack on the stones. 

She didn’t see a thing from the battle, but she did hear the tea kettle clanging on the ground, which meant someone had upset the fire. After that, there was a whispered oath of revenge and her legs were released. She lay on the ground, panting. She wasn’t sure she wanted to get up. If sinking into the ground had been an option, she would have gone for it. 

Instead, Rue rolled around, coming to rest on her elbows. She was stopped from any further movement by the pressure of the sword pressed underneath her chin. Jack stood in front of her, his back to the fire. She couldn’t see his face at all in this light. Only the glint of his eyes and the red of the fire glinting from the blade’s metal. Both of them were still breathing heavily. 

“Why… Rue?” he finally asked her in a cracked whisper. 

She raised her chin higher, partly to escape from the pressure of the blade and partly because she hoped that he’d hit an artery when he did strike. Nervously she licked past her lips, surprised to taste blood. “I told you… I’m part of a dying breed. Aku has my mother. And we owe him our lives.” 

The sword dipped lower, resting at the hollow of her throat. It felt warm. It didn’t try to communicate with her. “Were you waiting for that shadow, all this time?” 

She shook her head lightly. “No. I was sent to poison you. Only me.” 

The sword shook. It wasn’t much, barely a shiver. But she felt it nonetheless. Was it Jack who faltered, or the sword knowing her intentions? “I believed all your tricks. The stammering… the tripping… the smiles. All the lies… will I never learn? Who are you really? What kind of assassin are you? 

Tears sprang to her eyes. Something deep inside her threatened to crack. “I’m a clerk. Just a useless clerk. That’s why Aku sent me, because I’m expendable. He sent me because I stammer and trip, because I can’t even keep a straight face when talking. He doesn’t lose anything when you kill me. I was sent… because. Just because. He can. He can and I can’t and I couldn’t.” 

Now the tears flowed free and she took a gasping breath. If the sword would slice her skin then so be it. “I failed my mission. I failed it almost from the first moment we spoke. Because you’re so good and kind and you just jump into a situation without thinking. You offered me help when I was sure I’d get lost in the world. You encouraged me. You held my hand and you were my friend! I couldn’t kill you. Not even for my mother. I couldn’t.” 

The gasps turned to sobs and she didn’t hold back anymore. If she had to die crying than so be it. The blade against her throat didn’t draw blood but simply rested in such a way she wouldn’t be cut. “Just kill me. I failed everyone.” 

But death did not come for her. She continued to cry her heart out. Jack towered over her, waiting. Finally, she stopped, her head hurting from emotion. “Say something. Shout. Tell me you expected better.” 

Instead, he withdrew his katana, sheathing it in a smooth motion. It looked as if the practiced gesture caused him pain nonetheless. When he looked at her his face was unreadable, but his voice heavy with emotion. She didn’t know if it was hope or heartbreak. “You called me Jack. You saved me once. You told me to run away. Was that, too, a trick?” 

Rue shook her head. “No.” He remained silent, waiting for more. “I wanted you to escape. And I wanted to die, so I could finally stop living that wretched lie.” 

“I know the truth now,” he said, simply. The emotion was still there, lurking underneath the surface of his words. “That wretched lie did die this night.” 

She wet her lips, eyes resting on the sheathed sword. “Jack, I…” 

The samurai turned around. Rue blinked, not believing what happened. Branches snapped underneath his feet as he walked away from the campfire. “Jack?” He didn’t turn around or pause his steps. She swallowed the lump in her throat and raised her voice. “Jack, where are you going?” Leaves rustled and suddenly the white of his kimono no longer reflected the fire. Around her the noises of the forest came to life once more, crickets tentatively picking up their chirping as an owl hooted in the distance. The wind puffed past her, raising the hair on her arms. 

She was alone. 

Breathing had become harder in the span of seconds. Her heartbeat pounded loud against her ears as the realization dawned on her. She had never been completely alone in the forest before, not if she counted Jack’s sword. She opened her mouth again, wanting to cry out for Jack to come back. 

And then what? Ask him to protect her once more, as if she hadn’t been sent to kill him? Ask him to kill her so she wouldn’t have to live with what she had done? Neither option sounded as if it would have much success. She tried to swallow back tears, taking deep breaths. To keep her fingers busy she fed twigs and leaves to the fire, aware that it would now be the only thing to keep animals away from her. Every time something rustled she looked up, less and less hopeful each time. 

“Great going, Rue,” she scolded herself, seeing as how there was nobody else around to do it for her. “Truly the best way one could have handled the situation. Why one should believe that you were indeed the poorest choice available to-” Aku. As soon as he found out - there would be no ‘if’ in this case - she might as well be dead. Failing to kill Jack had been one thing, but betraying Aku in the same run? That was asking for misery. 

_Deep breaths,_ she reminded herself. _Panic kills. Calm is your best ally now. A weapon of any kind would be even better, but you are all you have._ She looked down at her hands, covered in dirt and scratches. She had learned some things in these past few months. She wasn’t as fragile as she’d expected. She was even a tiny bit braver than anyone would have guessed, as long as she had a reason to be. She hiccuped, wiping her sleeve across her eyes. If she planned on living even a day longer without Jack, she’d have to find a reason to keep going. 

Getting to the closest town was as good a plan as any. Often it was as much a plan as Jack usually had, followed by finding any sort of place that looked like it would trade food and lodging for an afternoon of work. She doubted the credit card Aku had given to her would be valid much longer. She lay down on her side, staring at the fire. She fed another twig to it. As soon as it was light, she would go. Just to the next town, it really wouldn’t be that hard. Walking with Jack had given her the impression that miles just flew by. Perhaps her fear would give her enough adrenaline to keep going for as long as necessary. 

She reached out and grabbed the black cloth that was all that remained from the shadow creature. It would keep her warm when the fire died low. If she was lucky it would shield her from prying eyes. As it was, that and the supplies that were now scattered around camp were probably all she had to keep herself alive. 

It was a long time before she fell asleep. She felt miserable, terrified and about to hurl. She rolled herself into a little ball, draping the cloth over her. As she slept she dreamt of black talons and shining blades, all poised to strike her down.


	16. Without You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we have more angst, and I'm happy you all seem to be liking the flavor of it.
> 
> Oh wow everyone, this story is almost at 200 kudos/ 100 comments! That's great! Thank you so much <3
> 
> Kaukze, as always, is a wonderful person and proofreader and must be recognized as such.

|Jack| 

He spent a long time standing in the darkness, trying to regain mastery over his feelings. Every time he suppressed his disbelief over what had happened, rage at the betrayal surged through his veins. When he wrestled that emotion in control, gut-wrenching grief threatened to wash over him. Always a new emotion demanded its toll. Before long he was panting, one hand pressed against a tree. His muscles flexed the few times he heard Rue call his name. But she did not run after him. Perhaps that was for the best. 

Or not. How much of her helplessness had been a ploy, devised on getting close to him? Which elements of her personality had been intended on lowering his defenses, which ones to cultivate his protection? Part of him wanted to go back and demand answers. He would have, had he not feared his anger would get the best of him. He never liked killing, and the thought of killing Rue sent a special kind of dread to the pits of his stomach. He slammed his fist against the tree. The plant never even noticed, not even deigning to drop a leaf. 

Jack dropped to the ground, ignoring the coolness of the night. Insects were plentiful and added to what could have been an oppressive silence. Moonlight covered the ground before him in light and dark patches. He looked back from where he had come, still seeing a vague flicker of fire. He hadn’t gone that far. Looking back in front of him he willed himself to think of anything else. But it was as if since meeting Rue, everything in his thoughts had somehow become connected to her. His emotions and thoughts banded together, trapping him in a labyrinth where every dead end flung him back to his starting point. Rue’s betrayal. The betrayal of a friend. 

He attempted meditation, but the soothing inner peace evaded him. With a frustrated sigh, he stood up and faced the fire. He had been gone for a long while now. Long enough for her to have shown her true face. With a determined jump, he reached a thick tree branch, hopping up in silence. He took care not to make a sound, with a grim smile thinking ‘jump good’ to himself. 

Reaching the former campsite was easy. As he scanned the area, he almost assumed it abandoned. The signs of his earlier scuffle with the shadow had dragged deep trenches on the ground, the contents of one of their - his, or hers, but not theirs - satchels spread across the ground. He recognized his tea bag, the contents miraculously unharmed. He almost jumped down before noting the dark shape next to the fire. It looked as if someone had rolled themselves as small as possible, before covering themselves with a blanket. The memory of Rue’s fear for pretty much anything that lived struck him full force. 

He made himself comfortable in the tree, legs crossed and one arm protectively over his sword. He would not let the issue go easily, and attempting to ignore it for weeks to come would only cause him more grief. No, instead he would be better off contemplating the problem, and so work towards a sort of grudging acceptance. Had there been any signs on their first day? 

_“Miss Rue Arkham, first-”_

She’d paused then, scrambling for words while her face had turned red. He had attributed it to shyness, and perhaps it had been. But it also had been an attempt at concealing something from him. During that day she had spent a lot of time fiddling with the necklace and glancing sneak peeks at him. He had attributed it to her being impressed by him. 

_“I’m an administrative employee.”_

It had been the perfect cover to lure a warrior into protecting someone. Nobody could have been more ill-suited to wandering alone than an office clerk with a phobia for anything living. But her screams and yelps had been very convincing. He couldn’t believe a professional assassin would ever be willing to stoop to that level. The situation made the spot between his shoulder blades itch. And there had been a change between them. He had thought it had been Rue getting more accustomed to his presence. Stubborn hope whispered that perhaps she had changed her mind at some point, had thought him worth saving. That’s what she had said. 

_“I was sent to poison you.”_

That was the sentence that damned her. What his reaction would have been to an honest confession, he would never know. But now that tiny sentence was enough to taint everything else she said. Every innocent tug at his sleeve became a search for where to plant a blade. Their shared meals were poisoning attempts. Kind words transformed into soothing lies. All because of that one sentence. But she would show her true face sooner or later. And there was only one town near here that he knew off. If she still had any contacts, she would meet them there. Then he would know how badly he had been deceived. 

|Rue| 

Rue awoke shivering, finding the fire had died out during her fitful slumber. A quick glance around her betrayed morning could arrive at any second. When she didn’t find Jack to be returned, she sighed. Not that she had really expected it, but she had hoped. Better to stop hoping and accept facts.  
She stood up and gathered all of the supplies that weren’t hopelessly spoiled by their night of being sprawled around. The black cloth was stuffed in the bag. When she found the smaller bag holding Jack’s tea she stopped, staring. Tears gathered in her eyes. She wiped them away with her sleeve, not caring if it made her look like a child. In order to look like a kid, there had to be someone around who could see her anyway. 

She felt almost like that day when Jack had been kidnapped. Only now there wasn’t a magic sword to force her along, and there wasn’t a staunch protector waiting for her at the end of the road. The first step was just as hard as the second and third, but she stumbled through them anyway. The forest still frightened her, and walking with her eyes closed wasn’t an option. Instead, she sought after some kind of trail, in hopes it would lead to a bigger trail, which could lead to a road. At least she knew which way was north. 

The minutes dragged on, only reluctantly turning into hours. The few animals she did see ran away, too used to human behavior to stick around her. She felt like just dropping down and having a good cry. She also feared that if she started with that, she would never stop. She told herself staring down a queen had been much worse. Had she been any less lucky, her head wouldn’t be attached to her shoulders at the moment. Yet somehow it felt like a much better way of ending her life at this moment. She wondered how Aku would kill her when he finally had her. “Dismember me, probably. Statistically speaking it’ll be that unless he’s not angry at the moment. In that case, it’ll be lifelong in the Mines.” Which in her case would be two years at best, thanks to the pollution down there. 

And yet somehow the small deer track she had found ran across a dirt road. Checking the position of the sun she decided it did run towards the village she hoped to reach. On her way, she stopped several times. She was bored, hurt, tired and sad, none of which contributed to discipline. In the end, it took her a little over two days to arrive at the village and found it had grown into a fully fledged city since the last time she had checked the archives. Cars dominated the street view, but the occasional horse trotted past her as well. Like any place under Aku’s reign, the people and animals looked dejected as they went about their daily lives. 

Rue took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. Fase two of ‘survival attempt’ was to find some kind of work that would allow her to save enough money to go somewhere else. Anywhere, really. If she used her credit card issued by Aku she’d be found within seconds. Carefully she asked around in bars, avoiding those which looked in any way rundown or dangerous. She’d learned her lesson once, she didn’t need another one while she was alone. By the time evening fell she was just about to consider trying it anyway - she would die so did it really matter? - before spotting a small inn, squeezed between two taller buildings. It looked drab and unassuming, almost as if it wanted to crawl away from the tall buildings surrounding it. If a building could look like a wallflower, she had found it. 

Carefully she knocked on the door, before opening it. The doorway led to a common room, filled with dark wood furniture. Knit cushions and doilies were spread around, sending a musty scent up in the air. When she looked to her right, she spotted a counter. She stepped towards it, almost on the rhythm of a ticking clock somewhere close by. “Excuse me? Hello?” 

There was a noise like someone putting down a heavy book and a woman stepped out from the small room behind the counter. Her age could have been anywhere between twenty and fifty. Thick framed glasses sat on a pronounced nose, while thin lips pursed together in distaste. Her ashy blond bun looked so tight that it probably pulled back skin. Rue’s head hurt from looking at it. The woman looked her up and down once, taking in every spot of dust and dirt. “What do you want?” she asked in a tone indicating she doubted Rue wanted a room. 

Not as scary as a queen or a witch, Rue reminded herself. Then, the power of words. “Good evening, madam. I want… eh… that is to say, I would like-” 

“What?” 

Rue blinked and readjusted her opinion to ‘about as scary as a queen’. “You wouldn’t need any help, by any chance? I’m looking for work. Anything is fine!” 

The woman didn’t smile or frown but looked at her blankly. She gestured once with her hand to the spotless common room, somehow managed to encompass her entire small domain. “Do I look like I need help?” 

It was now or never, really. If she couldn’t land something to do here, then she would have to go to a more dangerous place or sleep outside. She would be lucky if someone only killed her. “Anything is fine. I can sweep, or do dishes. Turn down the beds, or-” 

“I don’t need any of that,” the woman said sourly, waving a hand to the door. 

Rue placed her hands on the table top. “Please!” Her eyes landed on a stack of letters, most of them unopened. “I can read and write any letters you would happen to need.” 

The innkeeper slammed a hand on the letters with more force than necessary. “Unless you’re some kind of miracle with numbers, I have no use for you at all.” 

Rue blinked. There had been a feeling, almost like when Jack’s sword was ‘communicating’ with her. A flash of the innkeeper drowning in papers and numbers. “I can do accounting if that’s what you mean.” 

It was the innkeeper’s turn to blink in surprise. It was a slow blink as if she had found a bug that could perform a useful trick. “Can you now?” 

Rue nodded. Though it hadn’t belonged to any of her main duties, she was a clerk. She was used to bringing order to chaos, and if she didn’t know how to do something she would look it up. But she wouldn’t let this chance slip. “I can. I really, honestly can. One chance, that’s all you need to give me.” 

A prolonged silence passed between the both of them. The clock stopped ticking and launched in a cuckoo solo. Outside thunder rumbled, announcing the beginning of a storm. Rue felt as if she was being put on scales and weighed. This was a different kind of being noticed than being around Jack. This was the kind of noticed where the other person could tell to the gram how much you weighed and if you still had all your teeth. It suggested they knew one of your teeth had a filling, without ever having you open your mouth. “One chance it is.”  
Rue let out a relieved sigh as the woman continued. “I’m Miss Marebelle, and you may address me as miss Marebelle. House rules are simple, you’re home before nine in the evening, don’t track in any mud, no alcohol in the common room and no men in your room. If you can work the books I’ll pay, but I’m docking the room and food from it. Any complaints?” 

Rue shook her head vehemently. “None, miss Marebelle.” 

Marebelle sniffed once as if she highly doubted that. “Here’s your keys. Second floor, second door. Since you work here, you can have meals in the kitchen, so no need to get up especially for that.” There was a softer look in Marebelle’s watery blue eyes for the first time. “You look exhausted as is, so rest up. If you want there’s still a roast left over from supper, and some caulitatos at that.” 

“Yes miss, thank you miss!” Rue answered rapidly, fumbling the keys at this sudden small display of kindness. 

Marebelle shook her head with a sigh at the display, before motioning for Rue to move as if a there was a queue lining behind her. “We don’t have all night, get moving. I don’t take kindly to slowness, and you’ll find that out soon enough. So hop along.” 

Rue somehow found it necessary to make a small bow to the woman before rushing up the stairs, as quietly as possible because no doubt Marebelle would dislike loud people as well. She wasn’t a hundred percent convinced she had been very lucky in finding a place to sleep, but it would be dry and inside. When she entered the room she sighed, looking at the small bed. The walls were rundown and the lounging chair old-fashioned. Compared to her last few days, it was a complete paradise. But it still felt lonely without Jack in the same room. She sat down, the bedsprings protesting loudly. Her tears had run out, but her mind still had not let go. She missed the crackling campfire, and the presence of her friend next to her in the night, like a chasm in her chest. “Forgive me, Jack. Forgive me or kill me. I don’t care which at this point.” 

|Jack| 

He watched Rue disappear in the unassuming inn. Following her through the forest had been more than easy. Nowhere along the way had she displayed any signs of a sudden warrior skill or even the capacity of walking for more than an hour without tripping. Sometimes she stopped to orient herself, demonstrating she had at least picked up that much from their acquaintanceship. Entering the city had made following her marginally harder, but she lacked the instinct of self-preservation that would have led anyone to look over their shoulder. 

He wondered what she was looking for. She entered and exited several places, looking more and more unhappy every time she stepped out. And she never asked directions. This could point to her either knowing what she was looking for as a contact and not finding them, or merely looking for a place to sleep. He inclined towards believing her to be innocent, but he had been burnt before. In this, he could not trust his own judgment. He needed cold, hard proof. 

Thunder rolled over the sudden night, and the scent of the air announced heavy rain to come. He hesitated. She had never been inside an inn longer than five minutes before, which could mean anything. Staying in the same inn as she did would be counting too much on her obliviousness and his luck. His eyes wandered down the street, past the tall buildings and further. In the distance, he spotted a rundown place that would have to serve. It wasn’t a quiet spot like he would have preferred; even from this distance, the sound of a bar brawl shattered the air. 

His eyes trailed back to the inn where Rue had disappeared. Friend or foe, for tonight he would have to leave her be. And there was the rub, in the end. Friend or foe, and no way he could be certain because he wanted to see her one way and it colored his judgment. A light turned on, lighting the second floor of the small inn with a harsh, white glare. He was certain it was Rue, and he waited. A terrible longing overcame him, of nights spent telling stories, watching stars or silent companionship. If he went to her now, he could… no, because in his stomach there was still the sickening churning of anger and regret. If he went to her now, he couldn’t say what his actions would be. 

But soon. Something inside him was certain that before he left this town, he would have closure. His hand stroked past his sword as if he could find courage there. Strange, how he could face the hordes of Aku without a falter, knowing he could defeat them. But the thought of confronting Rue again was enough to turn his knees to jelly. The rain broke through the clouds, hitting the ground in a heavy downpour. The light on the second floor disappeared and he realized he had been staring. 

He moved towards his intended lodgings, clenching his sword until his knuckles grew white. If he confronted her there were only two possible endings. Either he would find her to be innocent, or guilty. Either he would be able to reaffirm his friendship, or kill her. The thought matched the storm well. Forgiveness or blood. One of them would be Rue’s fate, and he did not relish being the judge.


	17. Rue's Determination

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rue makes poor life choices and we can only sit around and scream. Sensitive readers may want to skip the last five sentences or so. Or just cop out when Aku is giving you the heebiejeebies, I get it.
> 
> As always, Kaukze is amazing. Snaps for them ^^
> 
> Not much to say as I am in study mode, which means I'm wasting a lot of time on job searching (hey, better be prepared, right?) and playing pokemon.

|Rue| 

She slumped forward in the hard office chair, one hand tangled in her hair while she sorted through receipts with her free hand. She had been at this for at least three hours after waking up, and there was no end in sight. It seemed Marebelle didn’t so much keep the books as simply cram every receipt in a ledger, along with pages she had ripped out of her inn log. Rue had divided the stacks neatly between debts and incomes and subdivided the debts according to who needed to be paid. 

Candles burned around her, dousing the small office room in a warm glow. The chair she occupied was Marebelle’s own, which said a lot about the woman's endurance. Outside an argument was had, with Marebelle carrying the overtone. When the door opened, Rue looked up. Marebelle looked at her, a few hairs escaped from her otherwise immaculate bun. The woman huffed, carrying a mug of tea in her hands. She slammed it on the table and looked Rue straight in the eyes. 

“Tell me, you in any trouble?” 

“What kind of trouble are you talking about?” Rue asked, suddenly confronted with a queasy feeling. 

“I’ll take that as a yes. Well, I sent away that… gentleman that was looking for you. Such an unsavory character. I told him I would get the guards after him if he set foot in here again and he…” Marebelle’s voice halted, and she twisted her fingers together. When the woman continued it was with a pained strain. “He suggested that perhaps Lord Aku’s minions would be interested in visiting my establishment. He left no doubt both myself and you would not enjoy it.” 

Rue drew a shaky breath, steadying herself on the table. She stood up slowly, holding on to the wood as if it grounded her to the floor. A few receipts rustled to the floor. “Did he say anything else?” 

“He would wait for you outside,” Marebelle said, her voice hardly above a whisper. She sounded fearful, and with reason. Nobody attracted Aku’s attention for a positive reason. 

“I’m sorry, miss Marebelle. I didn’t think I would bring trouble to you,” she apologized. It was true, she had thought she had at least another week before Aku grew suspicious. Then again, killing Jack was the only project he had any passion for these days. Perhaps he really was that annoyed with her not being by the samurai’s side. Which left her with an array of choices, ranging from brutal honesty to pure lies. She suspected she would only know on the spot what she would choose. “I’ll go see what he wants.” 

Marebelle shushed her, pushing the mug of tea in her hands. “Not dressed like that, no no. Those clothes haven’t seen a proper washing in weeks, I’ll bet. He said he’ll wait until evening, and I’ll have you dressed before that. Wait here.” 

Rue sank back in the chair, nursing the cup of tea as she waited. Whether she survived or not depended very much on how she handled the situation. There was a good chance she would be stuttering before she got past her third word. Marebelle returned in the room, carrying a dark gray dress with white trimming. It seemed modest and in perfectly good taste, as expected of the woman. 

Marebelle caressed the dress for a moment. “It belonged to my daughter. She also got in trouble with Lord Aku’s agents, but for her first interrogation she wore this dress and came back safe.” The woman smiled wryly as if the memory conjured a bitter taste. “Who knows, maybe it’s lucky. And you need a fresh change of clothes. Those look as if you slept in the mud for two days.” 

Rue smiled a guilty smile. “Thank you, miss Marebelle.” 

Left alone, Rue quickly changed into the dress. It was tight in most places, forcing her to stand up a bit straighter than usual. Breathing was harder as well. She wondered if it had been made like that on purpose, to at least force a semblance of being self-contained, or if it was simply because Marebelle’s daughter had been built more delicately. She left the room, finding Marebelle standing behind her desk. The woman wrung a kerchief between her hands, making knots and undoing them in a continuous loop. They shared a grim look before Rue walked to the door. She paused before it, not looking back at her hostess. “Miss Marebelle… if I should not return by tomorrow, there are some things in my room. Feel free to keep anything that seems as if it would be of use to you.” She left the remark that the items would be useless for her hanging in the air. Both of them knew you either came back swiftly from an appointment with Aku’s minions or not at all. 

“I understand, miss Arkham. T-take care.” 

Rue pulled her shoulder back in a response to the tension building in them. She pushed down the handle and the door clicked open. Outside a tall man was standing, muscular and with a lopsided grin. The dark suit he wore suggested he did something that required looking neat. He flicked away a toothpick. “Took you long enough. C’mon, haven’t got all day.” He started to saunter away, forcing her to follow behind him. After a few streets, he motioned to a car, black and sleek, waiting for them. He grinned at her, or at the way the dress was forcing her to stand. “After you.” 

Rue took place in the car, gathering her skirts around her. She clenched her hands in the fabric, knowing better than to run away. She’d seen the gun handle protruding from her guard, and had no doubts he would use it on her should the need arise. “Where are you taking me?” 

“Canta’s Plaza, hottest party scene in town. The big man wants to talk to you.” He eyed her from the side, a smile growing on his face. “You don’t look important enough to talk to Master Aku. Which means that if you’re in trouble, I might get to play with you a little.” 

Aku himself. She could have guessed, really. She sat up a bit straighter in her seat but avoided the piercing stare directed at her. “What shall be, shall be. Though I wager that if I have displeased him, he shall deal with me himself.” And she knew what form those punishments took. The cold sweat on her back reminded her that she would gladly take any punishment the man sitting next to her could think up if it meant not being punished by Aku. She closed her eyes and would have prayed, but she didn’t have any gods that she imagined would listen. In a world where Aku ruled, the only one capable of helping her would have been Jack. 

The rest of the ride was silent, though the man next to her tapped a short melody on his gun handle. Rue found the tension rising in her stomach almost akin to when Aku had held his first audience to choose his assassin. Only this time she knew what would happen. There were no other candidates his eye could fall on. 

The club itself was mostly empty at this time of day. The only people around were cleaning staff and men who very casually carried weapons at their hip. They watched her walk by and snickered at how drawn she looked. Rue barely felt her legs move, looking at tables and people as if they were all the same. It felt like a dream. She had wondered how she would die, on those days when Aku was particularly displeased. Office purgings were a common way to die, along with sickness. It had always seemed most likely one of those would be the cause. Somehow dying in a club had never made it high on the list. The man in front of her opened a door, tall and ornately carved with bats, snakes, and octopi. Had she been here with Jack she would have stopped and admired the detailed craftsmanship. Now she swayed past hoping the creatures would somehow come alive and devour her whole. Everything better than facing Aku. 

“Master, the woman is here,” the guard announced, bowing deeply before a tall screen at the far end of the room. 

With a distracted snort Aku, the shogun of evil and source of depravity, looked up to see who had disturbed him. “Wha-? Oh, right, right, the… secretary, wasn’t it? Yes.” He put away something he had been fiddling with. From this angle, it looked like a puzzle often received in cereal boxes. “Leave us.” 

The guard disappeared so quickly it almost looked as if he had teleported. Then Aku looked at her, eyebrows flaming and gaze dark. He didn’t look remotely happy. “Answer this riddle, minion. Why is the shadow dead and does the samurai still live?” 

“Because I have failed,” Rue answered. Her voice seemed somehow disembodied from herself. This wasn’t really her replying to Aku. It had to be some sort of bad dream. Soon she would wake up and find out she had never left her administrative tower. But Aku gritted his teeth and shouted at her. She was certain the jolt of fear she felt would have woken her up if it was a dream. 

“You failed! While it was so easy! Worse than that, you have stopped trying. You are no longer by the samurai’s side.” The sentence ended in a drawl, inviting her to explain more. 

She took a deep breath. “That is because I have confessed to him why I was by his side. After I poisoned the shadow and gave Jack the chance to escape.” Surprising, how much easier it became to be honest after she’d already done it once. It was strangely exhilarating to confess to Aku. It added to the adrenaline keeping her standing. 

“…Jack, you said,” Aku picked up on the little nugget of information. “You’ve grown to care for the samurai when it should have been the other way around.” 

“He is a good man,” Rue said. 

“And you a bad woman, in his eyes. Otherwise, he would be standing here next to you, waving his blade in the air and shouting righteous nonsense. Well, go back and finish the job. I’ll tell the men here to give you fresh supplies.” Aku suddenly seemed impatient to get the meeting over with. 

“What?” 

“Go back and finish your job. You owe me a blood debt, remember? And I want the samurai’s life. A bleeding heart like him will take you back in the blink of an eye. Just show him some true repentance. Fuck him if that’s what it takes to convince him. But I want his dead body at my feet at the end of the week!” Aku ended in a growl, daring her to talk back to him. 

Lie to Jack again? The option made her recoil in revulsion as she imagined going back and being forgiven, only to have him die by her hand. Aku took the move for fear and began to laugh. Rue tried to wet her lips and realized her mouth had gone dry. What was it again her mother always said… in for a penny, in for a pound? “I’m afraid… I’m afraid that’s impossible.” 

Silence descended on the scene. From a distance, the sound of a few employees fighting could be heard. The distinct melody of a table breaking and chairs being smashed were the only things Rue heard, besides her own heartbeat staccato in her ears. Aku’s mouth tasted her last sentence, repeating it quietly over and over again. She closed her eyes and felt exhausted. Fear could only grip a body for so long before it decided it was done with fear. Determination took its place, uncomfortably but somehow very definitive. 

“You see,” she continued, breaking the silence. “I saved him from queen Selene as well. And he saved me many, many times. He’s a good person, and he doesn’t deserve to die. If it was possible I would like to help him in his quest. But I only have myself to offer, and it’s been proven that’s not exactly helpful. Which made me realize that if I only have myself to offer, then that is the only thing you can ask for as well. I still have a blood debt to you. And I intend to fulfill it. But you cannot ask me to kill someone else because their life is not mine to offer. I can only offer my life as payment for the debt.” 

Aku started to smile after her speech. “Only yourself, huh? You offer your life as payment for all the services I have done your people, and believe it will all go away. Well, I started this with the intention of seeing a dead body and I will see a dead body before the week is over. You can choose between yours or that of your mother.” 

Rue’s throat squeezed painfully when her mother was mentioned. “I only have my own life. I can’t trade that of another.” She understood a little bit about Jack now. Enough to know that he was far stronger than she had ever been. 

If there was anything more frightening than Aku’s smile after having seen prey the world had yet to encounter it. He rolled his shoulders, reaching out to the screen and tilting it for a better view. “So that is your resolve. Your life before you touch the samurai. You know what I can do to you.” He waited for her to nod and continued. “But I don’t even have to do anything myself. I can just command you to do it yourself. Well then, little worm, if you are so convinced of your own worth I intend to see just how far you will go.” 

She nodded in the knowledge that at least she wouldn’t form an obstacle for Jack anymore. “As you command.” 

“As I command, how aptly put. There should be a desk here somewhere. Go and open a drawer, and tell me what you see.” 

Rue looked around and spotted a large wooden desk. It gleamed as if someone rubbed it with oils every day. She stepped towards it, her footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. Almost every drawer was shut, except the top one. She inhaled sharply. “I see… daggers. Five, of varying lengths and design.” And all of them looked sharp enough to cut a hair in two. 

“Choose one. Make sure it’s one I will like.” 

She hesitated. Instinctively she had reached for the less decorated one as if somehow the lack of decoration would make it hurt less. Instead, she picked the one with the handle worked in gold and mother of pearl. There were tiny spikes at the top of the blade, making it suitable for ripping as well as slicing. She approached the screen, balancing the blade on her palms. Holding it up for inspection she was unable to bow thanks to the dress. Instead, she scrunched her eyes shut, breathing shallowly through her mouth. 

“Good choice. You know where this is going.” 

She nodded once and suppressed a sob. “Yes.” 

Aku leaned closer to the screen, pressing his fingers together expectantly. “If you change your mind now I will let you walk free to kill the samurai. In fact, I will be generous with you. If at any moment you decide that offering the samurai’s life is acceptable, I will forgive you.” 

Something in her stomach clenched at the thought of new betrayal. “If you don’t mind, I would prefer getting this over and done with.” 

“In a race to the finish line. It’s a good change of pace. Don’t disappoint me by pleading for your life too soon. Now, where to begin? It would be a shame to kill you too soon, so you should start with something that doesn’t bleed too much. We have to build it up slowly… tell me, little worm, what do you think? Your people are experts in anything that has been written down. Ever read an anatomy book?” 

“Yes,” she replied shortly. A drop of sweat beaded at her temple and trickled down as she fought down her breakfast. Every single one of her race received what was considered an education fit for rulers in ancient times. Those that failed to remember their lessons sufficiently were removed from their breeding programs and re-educated. They were re-purposed as soldiers or, in the worst case, medical test subjects. She closed her eyes, wishing now that she had been one of them. “Traditionally speaking one prefers to start with extremities. With most species, these do not contain any vital organs.” Including her. Speaking of self-sacrifice was easy when it was hypothetical. She didn’t want to go through with it. But backing down was not an option. “Though cutting off an extremity would be useful in teaching me pain, it would mean the loss of a possible pain point. Breaking the bone, or optionally flaying the skin, would prove to be more useful in terms of breaking my will.” 

Aku laughed maniacally, slapping his knees as he nearly bent double in glee. “That’s it, such a perfect example of a fool. Wonderful, simply amazing how well you remember your lessons. I knew I was right in keeping your people alive. Even when I give an order like this you don’t struggle.” He wiped away a tear, gesturing for her to get on with the show. “Time to fulfill your precious blood debt. I wish I had the time to break you like you suggested, but we don’t have the time. I fear we will have to rush things. Place that table there in front of the screen.” 

Rue obeyed, dragging the table towards the screen. The legs screeched across the floor, the dagger which she had placed on top rattling threateningly. Like a viper, she thought, poised to strike the moment it could. Once she had completed the task she placed her hand on the table, as flat as possible. Her basic medical training reminded her that the cut should not be made in a joint, which could complicate the healing process. Not that it mattered in the long run. She waited, clasping the dagger tightly in her left hand. It didn’t stop the shaking. 

Aku’s smile grew larger, his canines glinting in the light as he peered closer to the screen. His breathing grew deeper in anticipation. “The little finger, first.” 

“Understood.”


	18. Jack's Choice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack saves the day by kidnapping Rue. Being the good guy can be tough sometimes!
> 
> Thanks again to Kaukze who's a wonderful proofreader <3 (I promise I'll get a new chapter written soon, just need to get through schoolwork ^^")
> 
> I hope everyone hasn't suffered under the hot weather too much. Please remember to properly hydrate (with water, not soda!) and use sunscreen.
> 
> For my terrible sense of humor, writing blogging and general me being me, please follow me on Tumblr! My username is moonsenvoy there. (there's an 's' between moon and envoy)  
> For announcements of fic updates, and me bitching about everyday life - I'm trying, I swear - check me out at Twitter @ReaderMaru
> 
> Last chapter ends the 'Betrayal Arc', which was mercifully short.

|Jack| 

He disliked the man entering the inn immediately. There was something in the way he stood, the gun cocked in his belt, the way he extinguished a cigarette by trampling it underneath his heel. The set of his shoulders betrayed he thought highly of himself. Jack almost entered the small inn himself to make sure nothing would happen to its inhabitants. Instead, he waited. It didn’t take long before the man exited again, looking over his shoulder and shouting insults. He leaned next to the door as if preparing to wait for a long time. 

Rue exited the inn after a short while, looking stressed. Jack didn’t recognize the dress she wore. It clung to her body, forcing her to walk straighter than normal. Perhaps it was the reason she didn’t trip over her own feet. He followed from a distance, making sure to blend in the shadows and crowds whenever possible. Had they been looking out for him, he would surely have been spotted. But it seemed neither Rue nor the man accompanying her were expecting him. They got in a dark car, wheels on the ground. Despite being a large city it appeared the flying cars had not yet been imported. 

Following them was taxing, stretching his tracking abilities to their limit. There was one time he was lucky to catch a flash of the car from the corner of his eye, stopping his turn into the wrong street. He was too late to see Rue enter the building, but there was no mistaking where she had gone. A large building named ‘Canta’s Plaza’, looming over a marble square. It cast a shadow over everything near it, thanks to a statue that could never be mistaken for anything other than Aku. 

So she was still working with Aku. The knowledge that Rue wasn’t really sorry for what had transpired didn’t ease Jack's own heart. But at least it gave him a chance. A small chance that Aku himself was present for this meeting. A chance to strike. He didn’t intend on letting it slip out of his grasp. At least one good thing would flow from these events. 

His approach to the building did not go unnoticed. It started with people glancing away uncomfortably when they saw the samurai heading towards the building. A few of the braver ones dared to wish him good luck. One woman advised him to turn back, before hurrying away herself. Then he came to the entrance, where a man with the build of a stout oak glowered at him. “What?” 

Jack glanced towards the double doors behind the man. “I would like entrance to this building.” 

The man burst out in laughter. “You? I recognize you. You can’t walk in here without a fight, samurai.” 

The double doors swerved inward, revealing a squad of six opponents. Seven, in combination with the first man. Jack observed his odds and possible ways out of the situation. He unsheathed his sword, letting the handle slide out so far it hit the stout man in the chin. His opponent grunted and grabbed for his mouth instinctively. Jack followed up by grabbing the sword handle and extending his elbow as he swerved. The impact of bone on bone sent a crunch in the air. The spray of bullets was caught by the body of the man. Jack used the opportunity to continue his movement, lashing out from behind his first casualty. His blade cut at least two of the guns in half. 

_One down,_ he thought. _Not good enough._

Bullets followed Jack as he ran inside, looking for cover as soon as he entered. Only a few seconds later he heard the clicks of guns gone empty. It was a serious defunct of the so-called automatic rifles as far as he could see. The men were at a further disadvantage when they shouted their positions to each other. One kick sent a chair flying as a man peeked around a corner. Jack ran from the ensuing sound. Unlikely that he had killed the man, but perhaps incapacitation could be hoped for. A distinctive click signaled at least one of his attackers had managed to reload by now. 

He ducked past a tall vase. It shattered behind him as he kept running. He was surprised by a robot guard rounding a pillar he was running toward. One quick slash of his blade at the exposed wires across the chest and hot oil was flung across the room. Jack avoided the spray and heard a grunt from behind him. “My eyes!” 

Three down, which was a satisfying thought. _Still, four more to go._

One of the more enterprising men threw liquor bottles at Jack, startling the cleaning staff who were fleeing the scene. He caught one of the bottles in mid-air, turning around and slamming it at the temple of another robot which had snuck up behind him. The reverberating sound and consequential bump in the metal casing led to the conclusion this one wouldn’t be a further problem. More bullets led him to slide over the liquor counter. Passing through he sliced the throat of the earlier bottle-thrower. Blood splattered on the counter behind him. 

_Five._

Target number six flung a chair at him. He sliced it, sending both halves flying past him, splinters dangerously skirting past his face. A gun was aimed at Jack, and he flung up a thick table in response. The bullets bore in the wood and the table crashed against a delicate fountain. Water sprayed as if a spring had spontaneously erupted. Another bullet was fired, betraying the location of its shooter. He jumped through the spouting water, the force of it causing his hair pin to loosen. Wet hair clung to his face as he slid his sword in the chest of the shooter. 

_Last one._

The man was easily found. As the thug fled he stumbled past chairs and tables, throwing them to the sides. His progress was slow, and Jack caught up to him easily. The samurai pressed the blade against the man’s jugular, holding him steady with his free hand. End of the road for this battle. Now all he had to do was find out if Aku was here. “Where is Rue?” 

The man blinked in surprise. “Who?” 

Jack took a moment to curse himself. Rue had betrayed him, he shouldn’t be asking after her whereabouts now. “A young woman, blue dress, brown hair. She came in here not too long ago. Where is she?” 

“Dude, she’s in the conference room. Master Aku wanted to speak with her, so we set up a video feed. Down the hallway, first big door on your left.” The man rattled the information of as if he were an automatic rifle himself. Jack thanked him by thumping the handle of his sword on his temple. The man slumped into a boneless pile on the ground. 

He ran to the conference room, his sword dripping oil and blood on the ground. The carpet hid the sound of his sandals as he moved. He stopped before the door and imagined hearing Aku’s voice. He allowed himself a moment of composure and inner peace. Perhaps this day… no, the guard had mentioned a video feed. But with a little luck, he would be able to find a clue as to where Aku’s palace was located. Inner peace, he reminded himself, reaching for the doors. Balance to see him through this ordeal. 

“The little finger, first.” 

“Understood.” 

The conversation made little sense at first. As he entered both Rue and Aku placed their attention on him at once. The latter laughed in glee, clapping his hands as if his favorite tv-show were about to start. Rue, on the other hand, looked horrified at seeing him there. An ornate dagger slipped from her trembling hand, clanging on the floor. It didn’t take long for Jack to come to a conclusion he didn’t like. 

“Aku, what are you doing?” he demanded. 

“Isn’t it obvious, samurai? I am currently enjoying my rights as supreme ruler. My little pawn, now is your chance to redeem yourself. Pick up the blade and attack the samurai.” Aku encouraged Rue, who looked as if she’d been struck by lightning. 

Her mouth moved silently, eyes fixated on Jack as he walked closer. When Aku commanded her again, she turned with a pained screech. “No! No! His life is not mine to give. Only mine, you can only have mine.” 

Aku could not physically harm them here. Even the Overlord of all Evil could not strike through a screen. So Jack felt no qualms about walking next to Rue. When he placed his hand on her shoulder she tried to flinch away from him. The tears in her eyes brought out their amethyst quality, but it was the way she shook that finally convinced him that, ultimately, Rue no longer meant him harm. “He has no right to your life either, Rue.” 

At that she shook her head violently, bringing up her hands in an attempt to pry herself loose from his grip. “Jack, you don’t understand. I told you, I owe him a blood debt and the only way to pay him-” 

“I highly doubt this snake speaks truth,” Jack interrupted, glaring at Aku. The villain looked up at the sky, avoiding eye contact. “You would do well to ignore everything he tells you. That vile tongue poisons everything.” 

Aku gasped and placed a hand against his chest. “I am insulted. As if the great lord Aku would ever resort to lies and treachery to achieve his means.” 

“That is the only thing you ever do!” Jack pointed out, his free hand clenching around his sword. 

“Pawn, here is your choice. Either fulfill your blood debt by killing the samurai or kill yourself here and now,” Aku commanded, his tone of voice leaving no doubt his wishes were absolute. 

Rue bent forward to pick up the dagger. Jack made a split-second decision. He bent forward, wrapping one arm underneath her legs and his other one slipping to support her back. Rue struggled, attempting to reach the dagger. “Let me go, Jack. Let go of me!” 

“Not if you will hurt yourself.” 

“It’s the only way, he wants one of us dead,” she protested, trying to slip from his grasp. She nearly succeeded, as Jack didn’t want to hurt her and had to juggle his sword along with her. Aku encouraged her, his voice rising so hard with anticipation it sent the speakers static. 

“We both walk out of here. Your sacrifice would gain nothing today.” Jack kicked up the dagger, catching it in one hand. In a smooth arc, he throwed it at the screen where Aku jeered at the both of them. There was no explosion, no dramatic puff of smoke. The screen flickered and became blank, leaving the room silent, apart from the alarm that had started sounding.  
Jack marched towards the exit, away from the dagger and the screen. He would get Aku one day. For now, he had to get Rue away from his influence before she did irrevocable damage. Rue pleaded with him, telling him that he didn’t understand, she needed to do this, it was the only way it could end. Jack held her as tightly as he dared, fully aware he was trying to escape an enemy facility with a woman screaming at the top of her lungs. It wasn’t long before more guards appeared, forcing him to sheathe his sword so he could run effectively. At least the pursuit resulted in Rue shutting up. 

“Leave me here,” Rue gasped, folding her arms around his neck. The instinctual fear of being thrown on the ground won temporarily from her desire to do what she perceived was right. 

“Not a chance,” he grunted in reply, passing through the main entrance in time for a spray of bullets to miss them. A quick glance around showed a multitude of small alleys he could disappear in. He ducked in the first one, well aware he was now responsible for not only his own life but that of Rue. 

“They’ll kill you. Leave me behind and you’ll escape,” she sounded heated, and Jack imagined he felt her heart beat against his own chest. He did not doubt that she felt the adrenaline of the chase as well. He jumped, not quite as graceful as he would have done otherwise. A searing pain shot through his calf, and he nearly tripped. Rue continued her pleas. “I told Aku I wouldn’t kill you. So don’t die here.” 

So she did want him to live. The thought lifted his heart and sent new strength to his limbs. But how long that would last he could not guess. “Then I shall do my best not do die.” 

She gasped for breath, her nails digging into his shoulder. “… if you can find a car, I’ll help you.” 

It was a subtle shift in the balance, but it was to his advantage. He navigated his way through a maze of tiny alleys and shady corridors, the pain in his leg growing more persistent with each step. By the time they reached the main street he was limping, forced to put Rue down. If she wanted to run, now was her chance. He couldn’t keep carrying her. If she ran, he might manage to fight his way out of it. 

Instead of taking her chance to escape, Rue ran to the nearest car. A woman had just exited it, pocketing her keys. Jack followed, catching most of the conversation. 

“-need to run.”  
“It IS Samurai Jack!”  
“Ma’am, please!” 

The key switched hands as the woman gazed at Jack with a starstruck smile. Rue got behind the steering wheel, motioning Jack to get in. He obeyed, bowing hastily for their benefactor who was sent into a giggling fit. Before he’d managed to figure out how the seat belt worked, Rue slammed the gas pedal. Screeching the car took off. Behind them, Jack thought he heard a gunshot. “Do you know how to drive?” 

“We’d take turns commuting back home. The cars were more advanced, though,” she clarified, taking a sharp left turn. Jack noted she hardly touched the stick between them, and her hand continually drifted up in the air as if reaching for a digital screen. It made for a rough ride and he already felt guilty about perhaps not being able to return the car. Rue didn't spare a glance at him as she took a right turn, cutting off a large truck coming from the other side. “How’s your leg?” 

“Bleeding, but it seems like the shot only grazed it. It shall be fine,” he assured her, taking the opportunity to observe Rue. She met his eyes for a second, flashed a smile and turned her eyes back to the road. She looked as if she could burst into tears any second. Five minutes of rough turns later she slowed down the pace of the vehicle, paying attention to traffic rules. A certain tenseness seemed to leave her, her mouth and eyes relaxing but still intent on the road. 

When they stopped at a red light she glanced at his leg, unable to see the wound. “Will you be all right?” 

“I will be fine. Thank you,” he made sure to put emphasis on his thanks. She could have run, to save her own skin or kill herself. Instead, she’d stayed and aided his escape. If anything, that showed she meant him no harm. Now he just wanted to be sure she wouldn’t harm herself. 

Rue brushed a strand of hair from her cheek, returning her eyes to the traffic light. Her cheeks were flushed with excitement. She gently pressed the gas pedal when the light turned green. “I… you know you shouldn’t thank me. You know who I am now.” 

“You are my friend, Rue Arkham. One who was prepared to give her own life instead of taking mine.” The gravity of that situation dawned on him fully now, though the dull ache in his leg somewhat hindered his thinking process. Aku hadn’t planned on merely killing her. It had looked fully well like the prelude to extended torture. 

“So what, you’re saying you want to travel together again? I can’t go, I owe Aku my life. My people owe him their lives,” she reminded him, easing the car through traffic. Pitch black cars sped past them, looking for someone fleeing the scene. Their unremarkable vehicle, following the traffic rules, passed underneath their radar. 

“He might have been lying, Rue. That’s what he does. Come with me and find the truth. If he wasn’t lying, you can go back. I won’t grudge you that,” Jack had no problem making the promise. The chance that Aku actually had saved anyone was virtually non-existent. 

“What if I don’t want to come with you?” Her voice trembled, on the verge of breaking. “You understand what duty means. What if I… what if I decide to uphold my honor?” 

Good question. And one not so easily answered. Jack cleared his throat but found no words to actually follow up. Silence filled the air between them, suffocating any other words he could have uttered. It was her life, after all. Her right to decide. But he didn’t want to let her decide to die. Finding out she had been literally prepared to sacrifice herself for him - no matter the underlying reasons - only made giving her up to Aku more painful. 

She hesitated, parking the car. Once the vehicle had stopped she placed her hands on her knees, contemplating them instead of meeting his eyes. “Aren’t you angry with me? For lying to you.” 

Jack found words escaped him for a moment. Instead, he ripped a strip of fabric from his already ruined kimono, using it to stop the blood flow. It wasn’t that bad, really. Only it stung, and walking would go slowly the coming days. He didn’t attempt meeting her eyes, instead focusing on her hands as well. There were a few slight ink stains on them, the knuckles drawn white as she grabbed down on the fabric of her new dress. They were slim and pale, with slender fingers suited to holding a pen. Not quite the hands of a seasoned killer. 

“Would you have killed me?” 

Her fingers balled together tighter, before nervously fidgeting with the dress. “I… I was supposed to. I was planning to. But no. I wouldn’t have, I think.” Now she did glance at him, a nervous slight shift of her head. He caught it from the corner of his eye. “I like you, Jack. If I can, I’ll come with you again. Until we find the truth.” 

She didn’t ask him to keep his word, that she would be allowed to leave him should Aku have been truthful. Which was a good thing, because Jack didn’t know if his honor would allow him to leave if it meant her certain death. But he met her eyes with a smile and found it came easy. Somewhere deep down a ball of anxiety uncoiled, relieved that he wouldn’t be alone anymore.


	19. The Bold, the Beautiful, the Adaptation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In case you hadn't guessed, this is a rewrite from the western train episode, which I always found fun for some reason. I couldn't resist adding it in. Also, remember the Scotsman inviting them to a wedding? That's the cue for our 'Scottish arc' to start!
> 
> Scottish arc will contain : fluff, romance, emotions and character development. Also feels. I am so aiming for your feels in a few chapters.
> 
> Also, take this as a chance to rewatch that episode, since this chapter still needs more rewriting. (Even while Kaukze did her best in helping me improve it)
> 
> Remember, my tumblr name is moonsenvoy and you can reach me on Twitter @ReaderMaru  
> I live for your comments and kudos <3 They're so amazing and gosh everyone, you're the best <3

“Two tickets to Aryithe, if you please,” Rue ordered, sliding a few coins over the counter. Jack stood behind her, doing his utter best to not show how his one leg smarted. Things between them hadn’t been cleared up yet, at all, but enough for them to have a civil conversation that didn’t involve clearing their throats constantly. 

Rue tried to flex her shoulders, the dress not giving much leeway. They’d had to leave the car parked on the curb, in the knowledge the owner would soon receive an angry letter from city hall to pick it up. Worse was the nagging guilt in Rue’s stomach that she hadn’t gotten a chance to send miss Marebelle a quick note that she wasn’t dead. The woman had probably by now realized Rue wouldn’t be coming back. Though it was for the best. If Aku’s agents found out Marebelle was any closer than a mere landlady to either her or Jack it wouldn’t have ended well. 

She received the few small coins and two tickets with a resigned frown. Among the belongings she had left behind had been her credit card. Now they had to make due with whatever money both she and Jack could scrape together doing odd jobs. The past three days had been tiring for both of them. It almost felt as if the bounty hunters could smell Jack was injured. And since he had spent all that money on getting information from a sleazy barkeep, they were lucky to be able to afford the tickets. 

“Well, this train is going to get us closer to the Scotsman. You sure you want to attend the wedding?” She asked to be sure. From her one meeting with the man, she’d discovered he was, if kind, terribly loud. She could only imagine how a wedding in his clan would almost end her eardrums. 

“I am certain. He was kind enough to extend the invitation after all. Though it is a small detour, considering our earlier destination,” the apology was audible in his voice, if not the words. It would take them out of their projected route to the northwest, trailing past the mountain range and further east, though not by much. Rue had drawn out a crude map of how the world had once looked, and from that shown on where she thought they should be heading. Coincidence had it that the Scotsman’s home was rather close by, compared to any of the other places they had visited so far. 

Rue nodded, picking up their bags and walking to the waiting train before Jack could pick them up. Though he refused to admit it, he favored the injured leg. There was no sign of infection, thankfully, but she still thought he ought to be careful. She could almost feel his presence at her elbow, as if he were guarding her, or making sure she wouldn’t run away. Or it was the sword. She would have bet everything she had that it was keeping an eye on her. Maybe this extra time together would allow her to find out why the sword managed to send shivers up her spine. 

Because neither of them should have worried; for now, she intended to stay close. If she ran, he might follow and run into some of Aku’s minions. As long as he was hurt, she didn’t want to endanger him further. If anything, she might - attempt to - sucker punch anyone intent on attacking him. 

They took their seats and Rue spread out the makeshift map on the table between them. The seat on the other side of the hallway was occupied by an elderly farmer, who clutched a small herd of chickens close to him. The animals clucked and crowed, scratching the worn-out seating. Further, in the train, a wider assortment of passengers sat down, some demurely discussing their travel plans while others looked tired and only wanted to sleep. The train shocked into motion, rattling gently before steadying in a soothing cadence. 

“If we get out at the end station here, it won’t be very long until we reach the Scotsman’s home, if you remember the route correctly,” Rue explained, more for her own benefit than Jack’s. He’d heard her planning over five times, four times more than he actually needed it. “I doubt the letter we sent will arrive before we do. But if we’re lucky, he might be there to pick us up.” The view outside was one of low buildings, most of them built out of wood and scraps of tin. Where the road was visible, horse-drawn carriages hobbled listlessly through the hot streets.

Jack nodded and shifted the sword so it rested on the seat next to him. He leaned closer to her, borrowing the pencil stub and drawing out a route for them to follow if the Scotsman wasn’t there to escort them. Rue very purposefully kept her eyes trained on the line he drew. She feared that looking at the sword would somehow enhance the eerie power it had over her. Jack talked, slowly and reassuring. “… I traveled this way before. There is nothing out of the ordinary on the way.” 

“You mean nothing but bandits, ruffians, thugs and other people out to kill you?” she asked with more humor than she felt. Then she made the mistake of lifting her eyes from the paper and looking at Jack. He had been observing her, and with both of them bent over the paper it felt rather close. Unasked for, the memory of their kiss surfaced. Her gaze dropped to his lips, noting his smile at her little quip. 

If he did note how tense she suddenly felt, he didn’t let it on. “Well, they are one assassin down… And without their most charming ally, I doubt they will accomplish much.” 

Several alarm bells now rang in Rue’s mind as she managed to smile at his compliment. The train compartment suddenly felt hot, almost suffocating. Jack’s hand was close to her elbow on the table, and the movement of the train shook his head lightly. She wanted to put her other hand on the table, perhaps even on his hand. Her few romantically tinged memories of him fought violently for her attention. The train really was heating up, as even Jack’s complexion had taken a slight rosy turn. “I’m going to freshen up for a second. It’s quite hot in here.” 

She all but ran to the small bathroom. Ignoring the stench she quickly splashed some water on her face, drying it with her sleeve. _Get a grip woman,_ she thought angrily. Those memories weren’t even really romantic. She doubted it counted when your partner was at that moment under the influence of magic. And he only smiled at her because they were friends. He was relieved she didn’t hate him. And she did understand that sentiment. 

She ran her fingers across her temples, trying to smooth out the tension. Oh, she felt stressed enough already. The last thing she needed was to develop a crush on the handsome, strong and extremely kind and generous warrior prince. She frowned, trying to take that last thought back. One adjective, she decided. She could think of him with one adjective and leave it at that. Her brain kindly supplied ‘hunky’ and she nearly swallowed her tongue. 

Outside the bathroom shots were fired, and her first instinct was to shrink in a ball and hide. Then she realized Jack was injured and needed her help. So she opened the bathroom door and stepped outside, only to be nearly knocked on the ground by a tall, bearded man who was shooting at the ceiling. She just caught sight of his black poncho fluttering in the next compartment as she caught herself at the door. “Hey, watch it!” she cried out. The lout never even looked back. 

“I’m talking to you!” she shouted after the running man, hoping against knowing that Jack was not on the roof of the train, drawing bullets to himself. But of course, he would be there, because where else would a valiant idiot be who wanted to draw the gunfire away from innocent passengers? Never mind that he was injured and needed time to rest. And if the bounty hunters could just lay off it for a few weeks... speaking of, she'd better get tall and gruesome away from Jack. “Get back here, you-you!” 

Memo to her, start working on some good insults. This is embarrassing. “I am talking to you, sir! I mean, ruffian! Ignoring people is very rude!” Rue shouted as she tried to catch up to the taller man. The way he stepped belied the way the train occasionally bumped up and down. At least Rue’s legs made a double effort to appreciate every single movement the train made. Halfway one of the compartments she had to stand still for a few seconds, grabbing one of the seats to keep standing. By now her annoyance had divided between the man chasing Jack and her dress, which felt like it was attempting to strangle her. 

The bounty hunter disappeared, climbing up the ladder outside of the compartment. His poncho flapping in the wind felt exceedingly mocking as she barely managed to keep up with him. It wasn't long before she heard flashes of shouting voices, telling her that Jack was indeed on the roof of a moving train.

A noise, like heavy weights, dropped on and off metal, met her ears. Looking out of the windows, she saw heavy wooden logs falling off the train. She'd been around Jack long enough to know he'd probably cut those loose in order to get rid of his opponent. By the time Rue reached the door leading to the next compartment, Jack was climbing down the ladder, holding both the sword and his shoes in one hand. He looked tired, the smile on his face for her benefit betraying how much he wanted to have just a single day without something like this happening. “I was hoping to have finished this before you came back.” 

“I heard gunshots. Are you okay? How’s the leg?” she asked him, stepping aside so he could put on his shoes inside the train instead of on a rickety footstep outside. She snatched a quick glance when he stepped in his shoes, relieved to see the bandages were still white. If the wound had opened again it wasn’t very serious. 

“I am fine. There is no need to worry. I have had much worse,” he reassured her. She sniffed in response. She didn’t want to explain that she felt responsible because he’d gotten that particular wound by getting her out of trouble. Instead, she allowed him to guide her back to their seat. His warm hand on the small of her back kept her on her feet, balancing her weight when she shifted too much left or right. He was so close to her. 

Back in their seat, they found a group of chickens had temporarily invaded the premises. Shooing the animals, Jack scooted back in his place at the window seat. Rue hesitated, before sitting next to him instead of opposite from him. Apart from moving their satchels so that she would be able to sit more comfortable, Jack paid her new choice of seating little mind. Before long he was busy studying the passing landscape. The low buildings had been replaced by a flat country, looking barren and dry. Rue sank back in her seat, letting her leg fall closer to Jack. When she touched the katana, she felt a wave of reproach that nearly made her flinch. When she didn’t react out loud, the feeling was replaced by… neutrality. A blank zone that wasn’t anger, relief or gratitude but somewhere in between. 

She pulled her leg away, rolling her eyes. She couldn’t believe she was worried about the feelings of a sword. That she was considering apologizing to it didn’t help either. Instead, she yawned, the relative warmth of the trip lulling her into a weary sleep. She spent a long time fighting the closing of her eyes, pinching herself to stay awake. It wasn't long before she promised herself five minutes of rest.

At a certain point, the train jolted, waking her. Eyes closed she groaned softly, a hand gently stroking over her hair. 

“My, your lady friend certainly seems very sleepy,” a feminine voice said in a southern drawl. 

Rue was vaguely aware of muscles tensing up underneath her. “We have had a long journey, with more miles to come. This rest is good for her.” That was Jack. As he spoke, his voice reverberated through his chest, sounding in her ear. 

He smells so nice, she thought. A hint of green tea, and clean cotton, though there was an undercurrent of sweat. Which wasn’t that surprising because she was leaning against him in a warm train. The thought forced her a bit more awake, though she still wasn’t quite there yet. Not quite. 

“I just wanted to say how much I admire you. Why, you handled that big, ugly bandit as if it was nothing. I’ll bet any woman feels safe with you,” the stranger continued. Rue mentally concurred. Even she felt safe with Jack, and Aku knew how much she had done that should have made her deadly afraid of him. The woman continued when Jack didn’t answer. “My, but it is warm today, isn’t it? When it even drives a hero like you to seeming flushed, why, it’s almost startling to imagine how I look. Perhaps I will take a seat outside.” Rue listened to the woman explaining why sitting on the roof of one of the compartments was a starling idea, and realized she was trying to seduce Jack. The idea wasn’t exactly novel - he certainly had his fair share of admirers and not all of them female - but still it stung, a little. 

So she sat up, ostentatiously rubbing out her eyes so neither of the others would suspect she’d been listening in. The woman immediately latched on to the movement, saying that now that his companion was awake, Jack surely could escort her for a little while. Rue caught Jack’s glance between her and the woman. Rue almost started to speak, but she didn’t have any idea what she was supposed to say. Telling him to go have fun made her scream internally while being openly jealous seemed unnecessarily petty. She settled for a vague smile. 

The woman proved to be persistent, working on Jack’s feelings of honor, gentlemanship, and general kindness. The strategy proved fruitful since in the end, the swordsman followed the southern belle with an apologizing look in Rue’s direction. 

Rue found herself sitting where Jack had been until that moment, glaring at the tumbleweeds rolling by. She knew she wasn’t supposed to be sulking, after all, she’d been trying to kill him not a week ago. Didn’t mean he had to go up on the roof for such an obvious invitation. She pulled up her legs, leaning to the side as much as she could. She wouldn’t go up there, she would not. Not for a million. 

Heavy footsteps sounded behind her, sounding like a tall and heavyset person with a mind to tear through the train even if it was the last thing they did. It wasn’t long before a man appeared, dressed in a black poncho and a hat with a poker card stuck in it. She recognized him immediately as the one that had been chasing Jack earlier. She spoke faster than her brain could react. “Hey, I know you.” 

The man turned around, hand on the exit door. His eyes landed on her, confused. “Now who a- oh, you’re that lil’ girl. There’s a bounty on ya as well. Just a small one, though.” Big hands reached for her and suddenly Rue realized her mistake. With a yelp, she pushed away from the wall and towards the walkway. She was caught before she even had her feet on the ground. 

“You’re so tiny, but I guess even the samurai needs a companion pet. Hold still, I won’t hurt ya.” 

“Let go of me, you big lout. I’ll scream. Jack! Jack! Ja-hgmg-” Around the pair of them, people had gone quiet, diverting their attention elsewhere. The bounty hunter had stuffed a handkerchief in her mouth, stopping her shouts. It was followed by the snap of handcuffs around her wrists as he half-carried, half-dragged her towards the exit. By the time they exited he’d sufficiently gagged her to keep her quiet. 

“Stop yer squealin’, ya’ll be reunited with that other chipmunk before ya know it.” They stopped at the ladder, hearing Jack and the woman laughing softly above them. Rue tried to shout a warning, but the bounty hunter squeezed her so tightly she didn’t have any oxygen left. That and the handkerchief forced her to breathe carefully through her nose. “Now stay down here, and don’t move. Me an’ Josie have got a few things to sort out.” He reinforced his words by hastily tying a knot with another steel link chain, connecting it to her handcuffs. When she tried to smack the chain against the ladder, hoping the sound would alert Jack, she was rewarded with a cuff around her ears and the order to keep quiet. 

Rue swayed on her feet, gripping the ladder as tightly as she could. Out here the air roared in her ears, whipping her loose hair back and forth. At regular intervals the narrow board underneath her feet shifted, reminding her she was unsteady on her feet in the best of circumstances. After a few deep breaths, her head stopped swimming. Being able to focus on the railroad tracks as they whooshed below her wasn’t exactly a bonus. Judging from the sound of shooting at least Jack had realized it was a trap. She heard footsteps and gunshots, moving closer and farther away as the battle evolved. 

Rue tried to pull the chains loose from the handcuffs, knowing full well she didn’t have the strength to tear metal. But the chain that bounty hunter had used to tie her handcuffs to the metal sports of the ladder was thick and the knot sloppy. Trying to get enough oxygen through her nose, she started to untie the knot. Screaming in frustration did little. She doubted any of the combatants even realized what she was doing. 

At one point Jack actually landed light footed on the same small platform she was standing on. His hair had gotten undone, but his _gi_ seemed to still be in one piece. “Rue?”   
She tried to talk to him, the gag still in her way. He moved closer to her, untying the cloth. When she gasped for a full breath he brushed her hair away from her eyes. “Stay here,” he told her, before climbing the ladder she was tied to. 

“Wha- Jack, untie me!” She couldn’t believe that man. He had the magic, all-cutting sword, but he left her tied up. She got started on the thick knot with renewed vigor, grumbling underneath her breath. The handcuffs made what should have been an easy job much harder until she finally undid the last knot. It didn’t help her much, hands still bound together by the handcuffs. The chain fell off the train with a heavy clang. Above her, it sounded as if the fight was reaching its climax. Gritting her teeth she put a foot on the ladder. “Please don’t let me fall off, please don’t let me fall off,” she mumbled in a litany. She and Jack had just made up. She wasn’t ready to become a pancake. She did her best to ignore the ridiculousness of going to Jack’s aid. 

The sound of shooting above her faded. The whistling wind obscured any sound that could have given her a hint on what was going on. Peering over the edge of the roof she saw both the woman and the bounty hunter standing over a tied up Jack. Both of them looked the worse for wear as they seemed to be amicably talking. The man tossed Jack’s sword behind him with a sneer. Rue stretched out her chained hands as the sword slid over the roof. It slipped between her hands, slamming against her chest with a dull thud. Rubbing the painful spot she remembered Jack telling her the sword wouldn’t cut an innocent. As if the sword sensed that thought it immediately released a wave of dislike at her. Well, she didn’t have to like it either. 

She took a few deep breaths, trying to psyche herself up for doing crazy things that should be left to the professional. Holding the sword she felt it taking control of her arm again. She hadn’t exactly missed the sensation. But this at least gave her a semblance of competence. It lasted for the full three steps, where the sword then had her slam it through the roof beneath her. Rue held on with both hands, the strong wind nearly knocking her off. Her palms were sweaty. She feared losing her grip on the sword, instead wrapping the chain of her handcuffs around the handle. 

Jack must have heard the sound of her thumping on the train roof, his eyes flitting to her in the same second her chains jangled against the metal. A range of emotions passed on his face, though concern was obviously the main emotion. He mouthed ‘hold still’ to her, kicking his feet. The length of dark metal chain wrapped around his feet hooked around the spurs on the heel of Zeke, who was too focused on the woman to notice what was happening. Rue didn’t get what Jack was aiming at doing that, right up until the moment where Zeke was pushed over the edge by his sweetheart Josie. The man fell overboard, the chain around his ankle pulled Jack with him. Rue wanted to reach out for him but found she could hardly move. 

She shouldn’t have worried; Jack turned as he slid toward her, his bonds sliced through by his sword with the zing of metal meeting metal. In the same heartbeat, he threw the remnant of said chain around Josie, who followed after her partner in crime with a yelp. 

“Rue, are you hurt?” 

“No,” she squeaked out, still very focused on not getting blown off the train. “But I’m not happy to be here.” 

“You should have stayed inside the train,” he chided her, though he didn’t sound angry as much as relieved. His sword cut through the handcuffs like butter and he took her by the elbow, helping her to her feet. He was surprised as she slapped his shoulder. 

“How dare you leave me like that? I could have… maybe I could have helped you?! Or at least been a distraction for them or… or something!” Tears threatened to spill over into her eyes and Rue wasn’t sure if it was stress or jealousy over Josie. She decided on stress and slapped his shoulder again for good measure. “I’m the one that should be killing you, so don’t walk into danger like that.” 

He stared at her for a few heartbeats before he suddenly chuckled. Before she could fall off the train in the next bend he pulled her closer to him. Standing so close he shielded her from most of the wind, long black hair wisping past her face in the unforgiving wind. “Not many people tell someone they’ll try to help before reminding them they’re an assassin.” 

Rue stared up in dark eyes, the corners showing the wrinkle of amusement. She looked away with a pout. “Well… I just did. So next time don’t leave me tied up. Take me with you.” 

Jack surprised her by sitting down, pulling her with him. Making sure she wouldn’t fall by hooking his arm in hers, he looked over at the passing landscape. “I will take you with me when I can do so, safely. Until then I would feel better knowing you’re waiting for me.” 

She followed his gaze and looked at the landscape that flashed by in front of them. Deep shades of red and brown became interspersed with light greens. Soon they would reach a more hospitable environment than this desert region. “So you’re not sorry for leaving me there?” 

“I would be more sorry if you had been hurt.” 

As a response to that, she gave him a shove with her elbow. Arguing with Jack was hard when all he did was in order to keep her safe. She shifted closer until her shoulder was against his. “I’m just doing this cause I’m cold. You’re not forgiven just yet.” 

He smiled at her, certain that she would never hold a grudge for long. “Understood.”


	20. Scottish Travels

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter may feel a bit rushed, but I cut out like half of it and rewrote some stuff after darling Kaukze suggested it would be better differently. That does mean they haven't been able to curate the new material, so any mistakes are completely mine.
> 
> I got a one-month job for now, so my writing time is going to be limited. This means that in the future chapter updates may become less regular, because I need the time to write ^^" As always, kudos water my crops and comments give me life <3
> 
> My tumblr can be found at moonsenvoy  
> and my twittter is @ReaderMaru

Jack observed Rue unnoticed as she navigated between the pressing crowds to get away from the train. He knew she was still a bit peeved at the way he had left her tied up at one point, but it really had been safer for her there. The last thing he’d wanted was Rue running around on top of a moving train while people were shooting. She’d actually gotten angry at him. It filled him with an unexpected pleasure, knowing Rue felt so comfortable with him she showed anger easily. He had wanted to hug her. 

Which was a problem in its own right. Being friends with her was one thing, even though it had inadvertently led to her becoming a wanted fugitive as well. There just was no telling what Aku would do to someone he valued as a romantic partner. And Rue certainly was a desirable woman, once you got past the shell of clumsy mumbling and near-suicidal tripping. He placed a hand on her hip, pulling her closer to him when they passed through a throng of people. Being strictly honest with himself, it wasn’t necessary. But the protective gesture seemed to smooth down her ruffled feathers, and gave him the chance to touch her without seeming too intrusive. 

She looked up at him, big blue eyes slightly annoyed but mostly pleased with him being near. When her hand lightly brushed past him he felt weak in the knees. At once he looked up, pretending to scan the crowd. She just smelled so good. He wanted to be forever close enough to touch her. 

“Laddy, there ye are!” A booming voice carried over the crowd, sending Rue instinctively backing into him. Jack swallowed, aware of a soft body seeking his presence, before he turned to the source of the sound. The Scotsman was waiting for him a little while further, waving excitedly. “And ye brought yer lil’ bonny twig too!” 

The pair of them were squashed in a bone-crunching hug, feet lifted off the ground as people around them tried to ignore the loud reunion. “I’m so pleased the pair of ye could make it. It’s going to be one hell of a feast. There’s going to be bagpipe music, flutes and lutes, and an entire wedding meal. Have ya had haggis before, lil’ twig?” 

Rue shook her head, trying to regain her balance “No, I’ve never had the opportunity. What is it, exactly?” 

“Sheep stomach filled with entrails,” Jack told her, before the Scotsman could shout it for the entire station. To his surprise Rue merely nodded her understanding. 

“Oh, I see. Well, I’ve eaten monkey and snake so far. I’m sure sheep won’t be too different,” she said in a voice so innocent and accepting Jack had to resist the urge to embrace her. It wasn’t that haggis tasted terrible, it just was so different from the food in his own homeland he had a hard time coming to terms with it. For Rue, who considered any fresh meat to be a culture shock, he suspected sushi and haggis fell pretty much on the same scale. 

“That’s the spirit! I’ve got a surprise for the two of you. Come with me.” The Scotsman led the way out of the station, easily clearing a path for the two of them. “I couldn’t help but notice ye finally have a bounty on yer head too. Took them long enough, I think. Of course yer not as wanted as me and my buddy, but it’s a start, lassie. To be honest I think they mispriced a few of them posters. Can you imagine me being less wanted than Jack?” As the man spoke, they passed by a signpost papered in said posters. Most of them depicted Jack and the Scotsman, though a few in the corner spelled her name. The actual mug shot on them varied greatly, as if the artists had had to draw by taking orders from a source who wasn’t a hundred percent sure what she looked like. 

Rue, who had become increasingly more pink when it came to the wanted posters, nearly tripped over her own feet at the suggestion Jack was not worth every cent of his bounty. “But Jack is so strong. I’m certain even the amount on the posters doesn’t come close to his actual worth.” 

The Scotsman coughed incredulously, as Jack allowed a small smirk to show. At least his traveling companion thought highly of him. Rue sighed, eyes trained on another pillar where new posters were being pasted. “Though I’m also certain I don’t really come near whatever price they’ve put on mine.” 

The Scotsman patted her shoulder consolingly, nearly making Rue careen into a group of robot tourists. Jack grabbed her by the sleeve and though the fabric protested slightly, the incident ended without as much as a spilled coffee. The rest of their walk out of town Jack kept in the middle of them. Accidental harm suddenly seemed very likely to occur with his current entourage. Rue holding his arm felt comfortable, the warmth of her body against him casual and intimate. He tried to ignore the surge of emotion he felt by emptying his mind. 

Arriving at a stable outside of town he was met by an unexpected sight. The white stallion they had once ridden to escape a queen was waiting for them next to a larger, shaggy brown horse. Next to him Rue whimpered at the sight of the animal, drawing closer to him. Seeing her the horse snorted once. He looked at the Scotsman, who returned the broadest smile at him. “I thought ye would wanna see him again. He’s been a good addition to the herd.” 

Jack stepped forward, Rue loosening her grip on his arm and observing from a distance. The horse watched him approach, a calmness spread between them. He held out his hand towards the stallion, smiling when the velvet nose touched the palm of his hand. Hot breath wafted from the big nostrils, warming his hand. “Good boy. Did you miss us?” He was answered by a snort and continued to stroke the animal. Behind him Rue was pretty much herded towards the waiting animals, arms wrapped around herself as if she could protect herself like that. 

“I already suggested I could walk. But he doesn’t think it’s a good idea,” Rue said sulkily. The tone of her voice left no doubt who ‘he’ was. She eyed the two animals warily. The look was returned as the animals quickly picked up on the fact that she wasn’t comfortable around them. Both horses turned so they could watch the woman. She continued talking as she watched the white horse. “I think he remembers me. And it doesn’t look like happy memories.” 

Jack and the Scotsman exchanged a glance, the latter not having taken into account Rue’s relationship with any living thing. “I was countin’ on ye and the little sprig riding together. Can’t imagine it’d be hard on the horse. Both of ye together hardly weigh as much as one of my cousins.” 

That sounded like a reasonable idea, if it hadn’t been for Jack wrestling with his emotions and need for psychical distance from his friend. He cleared his throat and looked at Rue. 

Her hair swirled around her face as she looked at him and the horse in what was undisguised panic. “Can I walk? How far is it?” 

“About a three day ride,” the Scotsman offered. 

“… I could still walk that?” Rue tried. “Look, it’s just that the horse is really, really high and I’d rather not fall off.” 

“I will keep you safe,” Jack said and then his eyes met Rue’s. He was reminded of the last circumstance which had led them to sharing a horse and immediately averted his eyes. The last thing he needed while sorting out his obviously slightly more than friendly feelings for Rue did not need reminding of that event. And he’d just admitted to himself the feelings of friendship had shifted towards something different. Wonderful. 

Rue sighed and took a sideways step toward Jack and, by extension, the horse. “I know you will.” She swallowed as she glanced at him, and in the meeting of their eyes Jack realized she was thinking back to that time as well. The palms of his hands burned as he remembered the softness of her thighs. Rue coughed and forced a grin. “So, let’s get to it then. The sooner I get on the horse, the sooner I’ll be able to get off.” 

Even though she had said that, getting on the horse turned out to be a harder enterprise than any of them had anticipated. Jack simply swung a leg up and was seated. Rue approached, looked up at him and then to the horse. The animal seemed unimpressed by either of them and stared ahead, occasionally nibbling at the grass near its hooves. She wrapped her arms around herself. “So I’m supposed to… jump? Last time I didn’t really have much time to think on the physics of this.” 

“Well, if you could get a bit closer I can help you.” 

“It just seems very high. What if I fall?” 

“I will catch you.” 

“What if I make you fall?” 

“You won’t.” 

“I still don’t - woah, put me doooown!” 

 

Rue clamored and squirmed as the Scotsman lifted her with two hands around her waist. Jack was grateful for that courtesy since Rue was still wearing the dark dress that forced her to stand and sit stiffly, and which did not take kindly to any mistreatments. She was deposited neatly behind him, legs to one side as she nervously grabbed his waist as well as she could. With a glare she watched as the Scotsman clambered on his horse, dwarfing the sturdy animal. 

“You will be perfectly safe,” Jack promised as he took the reins. Rue huffed once, peeved, before she tried to scoot closer to him. The dress protested menacingly and she groaned. “Please trust me, Rue.” 

“Of course I trust you, Jack.” 

|Rue|

Traveling on horseback was, in one word, terrible. Rue constantly feared she would fall off, but she didn't dare grab at Jack too strongly either. The Scotsman explained to her that riding with two people on one horse wasn't a stellar idea for regular riding, but he hadn't guessed her to be a horsewoman of any type. Too bad he'd also forgotten she just never had gotten the hang of being around animals in general. So Rue listened as the Scotsman talked on how to handle horses, burying her head in Jack's _gi_ as well as she could in an attempt to forget she was on a horse in that moment.

"There seem to be more animals in these woods than in other parts of the land," Jack commented once, patting Rue's hand in an attempt to calm her down.

"Aku's bots don't come 'round here often. Something in the ground makes their navigation systems haywire, according to McIntosh. He's the blacksmith's apprentice, though he's a fair hand at anything mechanical."

Rue picked up on this, daring to look away from Jack's back for a few seconds. "Do you think he has a phone I can use? Without being tracked?"

The Scotsman scratched his beard while thinking. "We don't really make phone calls around the village. Just stick yer head through a window and holler, that does the trick. But if there's any guy around with that sorta thing, it'll be McIntosh. Why?"

"I would like to call my mother," Rue admitted in a small voice. "I have to make my apologies for not... returning home sooner." What she really needed to do was make apologies for turning traitor, but maybe telling Jack's close friends about that certain aspect of her past wasn't the smartest thing to do. "And since I'm traveling with Jack, it's best if we don't alert Aku as to where he is."

"That's right enough, lassie," the Scotsman agreed with her, looking extremely at ease as they rode on a large dirt road. Rue wondered how long it would take for herself to reach that level of ease. "Course, you might have to tell yer mom to prepare for a son in law, eh?"

In front of Rue, Jack made a strange, choked cough. She herself suddenly felt as if someone had trained a spotlight on her. "I- That is-"

"I'm sure Rue will tell her mother everything that is necessary," Jack offered in her stead.

"All I'm saying is, make sure you paint our boy in a good light. I know he ain't the most muscular type 'round, but his strange ideas have some merit. A mother in law has got to be prepared, ye know? Can't just spring that kind of news on 'er, especially when yer man is a bit of a runt, but-"

Rue tried to interject, before regretting the motion instantly as the horse made a particularly violent jolt. She yelped, and both men checked on her to see if she was fine. "I bfit mah tongue," she managed to say, before slumping against Jack while the Scotsman derailed in a long description of how his own wedding had been. These would be a terrible long three days. Though honestly speaking, the idea of Jack as a groom wasn't a wholly bad one.


	21. Kind Receptions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A last day of happiness and sunshine before I unleash new terrors on Rue. Speaking of which, thanks to my student job I'm not able to write much, if at all, so the next chapter might not be uploaded next Sunday. I can't really give a date either, so just keep your eyes peeled. I also announce updates on @ReaderMaru on Twitter, if you can't subscribe to the story here.
> 
> Kaukze was, as always, a perfect human being.
> 
> For those interested, my tumblr can be found under the name of moonsenvoy.

The Scotsman’s home hadn’t changed much in these past few years; the houses still stood close together with thatched roofs around a larger keep where most gatherings were held. Many of his kinsfolk were built as him, which was to say buff and tall with the color of their hair varying between strawberry blond to ginger. Rue and Jack still managed to attract their fair share of attention since neither of them fit in the previous categories. 

Jack helped Rue get down from the horse, as much to save her the pain of falling down once more and the horse from having to endure her limbs flailing in directions that weren't strictly according to physics. Once she felt the solid ground underneath her his companion didn't sink down to the mud, instead placing her hands on her knees and drawing a few shaky breaths. 

“Will you be okay?” he asked her, worried about how she’d been behaving these past few days. She’d looked flushed and ready to keel over even after dismounting. 

Rue nodded, not saying a word for a few deep breaths. “I’ll be fine. Just… animals, you know?” 

He knew. Despite all her attempts at getting to know any animal better, she'd never gotten over the incident with the snake. Around them, several of the men had started to gather, a few clapping Jack on the shoulder when they recognized him. It wasn't long before he found himself invited to hunting trips, wrestling matches and something called ‘a night of quaffing'. They were all exceedingly polite to Rue, for their standards at least. 

"There's my delicate pigeon!" Jack's old friend cooed as a shadow was cast over both Rue and Jack. Turning around Jack found himself eye to chest with the Scotsman's Wife, who glowered down at him like only a woman scorned could do. Clearly, he had not been forgiven his slip of the tongue the last time he'd seen her. The Scotsman intervened, pressing a solid kiss on his wife's cheek before gesturing to his guests. "The last of our guests have arrived. Jack brought his wee stick o' a lass with him, surely ain't no problem." 

The woman transferred her glower from Jack to an inquiring look to Rue, who stiffened to attention before making a small curtsy as best as she could in the constricting dress. “That just won’t do,” the Scotsman’s wife muttered as she clicked her tongue, grabbing Rue by her upper arm. “Just won’t do at all,” she continued, dragging Rue behind her toward the main keep. 

Jack raised a hand but hesitated in his protest. His friend clapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t worry about it lad, they’ll just have a regular ol’ girl chat.” 

|Rue| 

Rue tried her best to keep up with the imposing woman who, she feared, had now taken over as her caretaker. This was harder than it sounded since her feet still weren’t co-operating and her hips felt like pudding after three days on a horseback. That the imposing woman continued to click her tongue and mutter under her breath didn’t help matters. 

As they moved through the keep Rue saw that every possible place that could be used for decoration had been used to that end. Flowers, dried and fresh, adorned what otherwise would have been bare walls and imposing tapestries. Young women, their light hair either hanging down their back in thick braids or pulled up in thick chignons, moved from here to there. Some of them carried mops and buckets while others carried ladders and dusters back and forth. 

“Th-thank you for the invitation,” Rue finally managed to say, teeth clattering with each large step they took up the round stairs. “M-may I ask your name?” 

The Scotsman’s wife paused for a second and looked down at Rue. Combing back her hair with one hand the woman finally replied. “The name’s Annabel, lass. Now come with me, can’t have ye running around lookin’ like that.” 

It wasn’t long after that when Annabel finally entered through a pair of large double doors. Heat and steam hit Rue full in the face, taking her breath away. The air was heavy with the scent of flowery soap as several women chattered in a group. Some of them were in large stone tubs arranged in two circles, a smaller one in a large one, while other women stood naked as the day they were born, either soaping and rinsing their hair or drying off. 

Annabel stopped one of the girls entering the room. She looked sweaty and red in the face, probably having been part of the cleaning crew downstairs like the others. Half a head shorter than Annabel, Rue guessed that the woman was probably a younger relative. “Mary-Beth, take care of the runt for a while, will ya? I got things need seein’ to.” 

Rue switched hands and found herself under the care of the new woman, who turned out to be a niece on the Scotsman's side of the family and the sister of the bride-to-be. Before Rue could protest she was stripped from the stern dark blue dress - which received several tuts and not so subtle huffs from the older women - and dunked in a bath tub. Bathing seemed to be a family affair, as soon Rue had someone washing her hair while she tried to wash herself as quickly as was proper. Communal bathing wasn’t that common with her people and she’d only been seen nude so far by doctors and every performer at Queen Selene’s castle. Now she could add probably every woman in this part of the world to that list as well. 

“Aren’t ye travellin’ with that samurai fella?” Mary-Beth asked from her own bathtub before asking Rue to share her soap. “No wonder ye look so ragged, can’t imagine a man takin’ much time to take care of a lady.” 

“We’ve had a rough few weeks,” Rue answered meekly as the woman behind her tugged on her hair to get the snags out. 

“Can’t ever trust a man to take care of yer feminine needs,” the woman behind her said sagely, which prompted several of the other women to nod and agree. “They’re sweet an’ all, but there’s a reason men need someone to take care of ‘em.” 

Rue couldn't imagine Jack needing someone to take care of him but all the women around her nodded in wisdom. "Load of enthusiastic puppies, more often ‘n not," a woman with gray hair muttered as she climbed out of her bathtub. Wizened though her voice sounded, she had biceps that could rival Jack's. "Gotta train ‘em, early girls." 

More nodded and Rue was suddenly pushed lower in the water while someone else poured hot water over her head. Mary-Beth next to her received much the same treatment and underwent it with an air of someone used to casual mishandling in a bath. The talking continued and by the time Rue was allowed out of her bath her skin had shriveled like a prune and her hair was so clean it squeaked. She started to dry herself off calmly when the grey-haired woman suddenly placed a larger towel around her and rubbed her so hard Rue swore she felt her skin move. “P-p-please stop!” she managed to say, though no one paid attention. 

“You’re just a wee little sprig. Can’t imagine you having much fun running ‘round woods and swinging swords at monsters,” the woman commented. 

“I manage,” Rue replied truthfully. “It’s not that bad, really.” 

“Gotta get some meat on them bones o’ yours and then things’ll change for the better. Ah, Annabel, perfect timing.” 

Annabel entered the room again, holding a dress in light and dark greens with a matching embroidered apron. “Can’t have her running around in that ratty old dress o’ hers. Put this on then. After we can see where you’ll be sleeping.” 

Rue was relieved to find that the general idea seemed to be to let her dress herself. The dress had a row of tiny buttons at the front, starting from the waist. Tugging at the waistline she managed to get the skirts to fall the way they were seemingly intended to and then she tied the apron, making a double knot to ensure it wouldn't slip loose. To her surprise, Mary-Beth and Annabel attempted to put her hair in twin braids, before grumbling it was too short. It seemed communal grooming wasn't just expected but actually encouraged here. 

Annabel clapped her on the back and Rue thought she felt a lung move. “There, that’s a proper young woman. Now yer fit to walk around the keep with us. It’ll be time for dinner soon and then I imagine ye’ll be wanting to get to bed.” 

Rue nodded and trailed behind her hostess, hands clasped behind her back. It seemed that now she’d been cleaned up it was alright for her to walk on her own two feet. Annabel pointed out the main features of the keep, from the communal female bathroom - feel free to go in if ye need a wash and a chat - to the male communal bathroom - don’t go in there ‘less ye wanna know what the gents are talkin’ boot -, the kitchens, where she was supposed to help out tomorrow and several storage rooms which seemed to mostly contain weapons and kitchen supplies, though Rue didn’t see much difference between them. 

They ended at the main hall where soup and bread had been served alongside several platters of cold meat and boiled vegetables. Two long, wooden tables ran the length of the room with four open fireplaces heating the space. Rue realized she’d been famished, her stomach growling at the prospect of food that she didn’t have to eat while sitting on the ground. It seemed like seating arrangements were quite loose; though most of the younger women and men kept together in their groups there was also a fair amount of intermingling going on, leading her to conclude she could feel free to join Jack. 

“How was your reception?” she asked, swinging her legs carefully across the long bench. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this clean.” 

“Rue,” he started, turning toward her. He stopped talking as soon as he saw her, doing a double-take. As he spoke he sounded a bit choked, shifting in his chair. “You look very nice. The dress suits you.” 

She smiled at the compliment. “Thank you, Jack.” He was sitting next to his friend, along with several of the younger men. The group had followed their interaction with some interest. Rue smiled at them, looking at the Scotsman with a look that asked what the problem was. 

“We were just invitin’ my boy here to come with us tomorrow. We got some things to prepare as well, and we can’t leave him to get in the way of the women,” the Scotsman explained, before introducing the rest of his friends. 

Rue nodded and smiled, piling food on her plate. Next, to her, Jack filled her cup for her, while she added a bun to his plate. The group of men kept observing them with a smile. “Oh, that sounds great,” she finally said after swallowing her first mouthful of boiled greens. “Annabel said something about me helping in the kitchens, so I guess I’m already spoken for.” 

“There is the matter of sleeping arrangements,” Jack started with a glance to the Scotsman. “We’ve been given a room inside the keep for our stay.” 

Rue nodded, taking a quick gulp of the fruit juice in front of her. She hadn’t realized she’d been that starved. “You guys are amazing hosts!” Still, she had the idea that Jack wasn’t saying everything about the room. By now she was smart enough to know that if Jack wanted to discuss it, he would. Maybe he was waiting until they were alone. 

After a while, their bench filled with more people, until the entire hall was buzzing with low whispered conversations. Suddenly Rue felt a tickle at the back of her neck; like an icy cold finger pressed against the top of her spine. Uncomfortable, she rolled her shoulders and looked around. There wasn't much to see, except… "Hey, Jack, who's that old, skinny guy?" 

Jack looked up from the conversation he'd been listening to. Following the way she faced, his face fell for a fraction of a second. It was only a slight pull of a muscle, but to people who knew him, it was as clear as day. "That would be the local shaman." 

"Don't like him?" Rue asked as the Scotsman refilled her mug for her. In the same few seconds, his wife intervened, replacing Rue's mug with another one. Instead, she placed Rue's old mug in front of Jack, who absently reached for it while he watched the shaman. 

“He’s a… special type of person. And he likes putting people through tests when he believes it necessary,” Jack said slowly, as if he knew what Rue was thinking. When he took a sip from his mug he nearly choked, plunking it back on the table. Where drops landed on the table they sizzled threateningly. 

She turned back to him with a smile. “Do you think he’d be willing to teach me while we’re here?” 

“Perhaps that should wait until after you call home?” Jack choked out in an attempt to not directly say no. 

Rue nodded at the suggestion, before patting him on the back in concern. “Please don’t go around drinking weird things while we’re here.” Neither of the two noticed how the couple in front of them exchanged amused and slightly guilty glances. Then Rue looked in front of her, to the Scotsman. “So… about that relative of yours. The one who was tech-savvy? Do you think he could help me?” 

"I'll introduce you, before me and my mate leave tomorrow, it's easier to find him during the day. He tends to wander at night," the Scotsman said, pouring his wife some juice. 

The evening passed more chaotic than either of the two companions could remember. Several of the groups scattered through the hall burst out in singing, either trying to one-up the others or just starting a new song for the fun of it. Rue got offered several mugs of the drink that had made Jack choke, which she wisely placed on the table as soon as she could. People played games and shouted at one another. The room grew stuffy and hot, which deterred nobody at all. 

Rue hardly noticed the hour, until she started to nod off. Her head hit Jack’s shoulder as she tried to follow a hunting story being told by the person seated next to her. Had it always been this hard to keep her eyes open? “Where’s the room?” she asked, yawning so widely her jaw cracked. 

Jack yawned in response, hiding it well behind his hand. “I’ll show you. My friends, good night.” 

Several bone-crunching hugs later, the pair could retreat to their room. Rue dragged her feet up the stairs, trying to stay awake long enough to find a bed to crash in. The social interactions had pretty much drained everything she had. They stopped at a large wooden door, which opened without a single creak. Jack cleared his throat once before they stepped inside. “Rue… I… that is we-” 

Rue stumbled into the room, eyes landing on the double bed in the middle of the room. “Was this what you couldn’t say earlier?” 

“Yes,” Jack sighed from in the doorway as Rue stumbled to the bed. “It seems certain people have gotten the misconception that we are… involved-” 

“They call it dating these days,” Rue interjected, sitting down in a chair to pull off her shoes. 

“- and I would have told them the truth, but I know how you are around strangers and I didn’t want you to feel pressured into sharing a room with the other unmarried women. And you don’t react well to sleeping alone in strange environments.” 

Rue looked up in surprise, partly because she didn’t think Jack had ever blurted out an explanation that fast ever before. “You… picked up on the sleeping thing, huh?” 

He nodded, rubbing the back of his head while he did his best to look anywhere but her or the bed. “It’s hard not to notice, really. Overall, you are quite bad at keeping secrets.” 

Rue finished taking off her shoes, dropping them on the ground with a long yawn. “It’s okay, Jack. You guessed right, I do feel more comfortable around you.” She nodded toward the bed, doing her best to forget any thoughts that lingered along the line of ‘hunky’. She was too tired anyway; the best she could do at this point was hope she wouldn’t drool over her pillow. “I’m comfortable with this if you are. And if you aren’t, the other women are all very nice. I’m sure I could cope.” 

The last part was an obvious lie; though the keep was better than a forest by leaps and bounds, there was no way Rue would be able to get comfortable enough for a deep sleep while she was surrounded by strangers. Jack seemed to see through it as well, though an awkward smile showed he appreciated the effort. “If it doesn’t make you uncomfortable, then I shall keep you company.” 

Rue nodded and plopped down on the bed, face first in a pillow. It smelled of lavender and sunshine. “Thanks,” she mumbled against the pillow. “I’m sure you snore less than the other men in this place.” 

“I snore?” Jack asked with a hint of panic. 

"Sometimes," she admitted, rearranging the covers. She'd hate herself for going to sleep dressed in the morning, but for now, she just couldn't care. "It's okay though. It's a cute snore…" Rue didn't know if Jack ever replied to that because she fell asleep as soon as she'd gotten comfortable. She never felt gentle hands arranging the covers around her.


	22. Loss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which we have some hurt/comfort! Doesn't happen much, but I tried.
> 
> Working full-time sucks, and I feel for everyone who has been a fully functioning adult for a longer period than me. Treasure your school time, kids. TREASURE IT!
> 
> In other news, I started making a video game ~ I'll probably make some sort of page so people who are interested can follow the progress.
> 
> As always, I'm moonsenvoy on tumbrl and @ReaderMaru on Twitter <3

“And you’re sure you’ll be fine?” Jack asked her again, looking back at the group of men that had gathered for a hunting trip. Several of the men waved at the two of them, a sickly sweet smile on their face. 

Rue, who by now had come to accept the gravity of their predicament, smiled back at them with barely a twitch. They were surrounded by young couples bidding each other goodbye for the day, and she was almost painfully aware how the two of them looked. “I’m just going to have a talk with this McIntosh, ask him if he can make a call under the radar. I promise I won’t do it if it’s unsafe.” 

The samurai rubbed his neck, glancing at the Scotsman's wife, who was looking at the both of them from a distance, arms crossed and a sour scowl on her face. "I mean with the other… girls. Who are all very charming women," he added the last part as the Scotsman punched him in the arm on his way to the horses. 

Rue glanced to where Annabel was waiting and managed a smile. “It’s just helping out in the kitchens. I doubt it’ll be very hard.” 

“Just, be careful. Things have a tendency to go wrong when we part ways for a long time.” 

“A day isn’t a long time, Jack,” Rue said, but this time her smile was more sincere. “And we usually get separated because of things going haywire. I’ll be fine.” 

He didn’t seem convinced in the slightest. But then the other young men all wished their sweethearts goodbye and Jack just barely managed a weak wave, not able to bring himself to peck her on the cheek. Rue bit back a chuckle when she heard him being teased by the others. Being amused by the situation was a bit mean, but oh, it was fun to see Jack flustered for once instead of cool and collected. 

She waved goodbye as the men left, armed with bows and hounds baying, deeply grateful she did not have to attend that specific activity. From the bit she'd seen from the dogs, they were overly effective creatures that liked to jump on people and slobber all over them. Jack had laughed in delight. She'd stood on the sidelines, fervently hoping those predators wouldn't see her. 

Instead, she turned around, promising Annabel that she would only take as long as was necessary. Peeling potatoes wasn’t exactly a riveting activity, but if it meant she didn’t have to sit on a horse for the better part of the day, she’d peel a thousand… ten thousand! She had never loved potatoes more than before today! 

Rue practically skipped to McIntosh’s house, which lay a bit outside of the keep. As promised, the yard outside was scattered with old Aku-bot parts, making it easy to find. Smoke gently billowed from the chimney, and there was a distinct smell of gunpowder. Gingerly she knocked on the door. 

It banged open, revealing a young man who looked like he only recently had graduated from puberty, meaning that he had the build of an average bear instead of a grizzly. He looked down at her, before taking out a pair of glasses from the front of his kilt. One of the glasses was covered in soot. “Can I help ya?” 

“Are you McIntosh?” 

“’S me. You must be that lass that came in with the samurai? Heard you wanted to talk to me.” He walked back inside his house, leaving the door open. Rue followed, tentatively closing the door behind her. Every available surface in the house was covered in metal plates and rings. Several guns, in different states of dismantlement, were displayed on a table. The smell of gunpowder mingled with that of steel, leaving a metallic taste in the air. “I’m the local weapon smith and intelligence expert. What’s it you need?” he asked as he pulled out a sack of tools. 

“I was wondering if you can establish a secure line.” 

“No problem.” 

“One that can’t be traced while I call Aku’s headquarters?” 

His hands stopped rummaging through his tools, two wide blue eyes fastening on the woman near his front door. He whistled slowly. "Shoulda known you'd ask for somethin' special." He leaned back, looking at her as if it was the first time he saw another person. "You're not planning on calling Aku himself, are ye?" 

Rue shook her head vehemently. “I… want to check on my mother. If I can reach the GACC - General Assistance Call Center - they’ll connect me through.” It was the one phone number any of her kind ever had to memorize, established in case one of them ever got lost or was kidnapped. Through there, she’d be able to call anyone as long as she knew the serial number. 

“I have a secure line. But you have to be quick. I can give you five minutes after you connect, but then I’m closing the line. Aku doesn’t know we’re here, and I’m keeping it that way.” McIntosh said, slowly reaching back for one of his tools. 

Five minutes… it wasn’t much, but she’d take it. “That’s all I need. Please, let me… let me call home.” If it wasn’t too late. If Aku hadn’t moved already. There was a chance, however slight, that he’d simply forgotten to kill her mother. With Aku, death was a certainty, but eventual. It all depended on how focused he was on revenge. 

As McIntosh worked on the phone line, Rue tapped her fingers on her lap, in a peculiar rhythm she'd heard with Jack in a pub once. She tried to come up with a way to tell her mother in five minutes that her only child had turned traitor and was traveling with Aku's most hated enemy. That Rue had decided to see what really had happened in the past, and if Aku's word was true. And if her mother could pretty please run away too, because Rue didn't want to be responsible for the death of her own mother. Five minutes would not be enough for this conversation. 

“Here ya go. Dial the number, and lemme know when you got a connection. I’ll be keeping time,” McIntosh said, gesturing to an egg timer on the desk, and the off-switch right next to it. 

Rue gave a nervous nod. With a trembling hand, she reached toward the holographic keyboard. She dialed the number without really thinking and swallowed thickly when the phone started to ring. As a male voice on the other side of the line said hello, Rue gave a nod to McIntish. Her five minutes had started. 

“Please connect me to serial number 563 242 54. I have news for her.” 

“Just one moment please,” the voice on the others side said. 

Rue counted the seconds. One… two… three… what was taking so long?” 

“Excuse me miss, seems to be a system malfunction. Give me a few minutes.” 

She didn’t have a few minutes. “I’d appreciate it if you hurried. It’s urgent business.” Life and death, though she couldn’t start screaming that through the phone. Mentally she wondered how she should start her story. _‘Mother, it’s Rue, I’m safe. You have to run…’_

“Oh, I found the problem. I’m sorry to tell you, but that serial number is out of commission.” 

Strange, how she heard the words but they didn’t seem to make any connection. “What seems to be the problem?” Maybe they’d changed her mother’s number? She’d never heard of it happen, but once had to be the first time, right? 

Shuffling sounds on the other side of the line, and someone tapping on a keyboard. “Well, problem is that 563 242 54 was scheduled to be taken to the mines over a week ago, for termination purposes. System forgot to mention that they’d expired before that.” 

Terminated. Expired. She’d gotten used to that word choice over the years, just like she’d gotten used to the idea of people disappearing or being transferred. Empty words that didn’t mean much, until… “Does the system say… what’s the cause of death? When? Can you tell me when?” 

More tapping and her heart jolted with every sound she heard. The fabric of her dress felt unreal against her fingertips, as her left hand bunched up the skirt. The man on the other side of the line sounded somewhat apologetic, but not really emphatic. “Says here it was smoke poisoning, terminal condition. About a month or two ago.” 

"… I see. Thank you for this information." Without another word, she ended the call - terminated it - and stared at the egg timer. She still had two minutes left. 

McIntosh stared at her. “Lass… you okay?” 

Rue stood up, eyes unseeing. “I guess I didn’t need five minutes after all.” She turned toward the door, somehow missing the boxes of scrap on the floor. “Excuse me. Annabel has potatoes I need to peel.” 

|Jack| 

When Jack returned, he felt warm and happy for the first time in a long time. The day had been sunny and filled with talks and laughter, and he had been able to enjoy himself in the knowledge that at least here, nothing could harm him or his companion. He’d missed the companionship of animals, and that of one of his best friends in this dreadful time. As he dismounted, one of the women of the castle approached him. He thought he Rue had mentioned her the day before. “Miss Mary-Beth,” he said with a smile. 

"You need to come with me, now," Mary-Beth said, tugging on his arm, leaving no doubt she would have dragged him off the horse if it had been necessary. 

Jack followed, frowning. “What is this about?” 

“It’s Rue. She’s been in such a mood ever since she went over to McIntosh’s. Maybe you can talk to her and find out what the problem is.” 

When he heard it was a problem with Rue, Jack finally moved faster. They winded through a few corridors, before entering a large kitchen. Jack caught sight of lists of food that needed to be prepared as the sound of knives whizzing and pots boiling filled the room. There was also a strange atmosphere in the room. Mary-Beth guided him to the next room, where there was decidedly less activity. Rue sat in the middle of a circle of women, who were trying to coax her attention. Next to her was a small tub filled with peeled potatoes, though half of them still had patches of skin left on them. 

“I brought you some tea, dearie. Drink up.”   
“If McIntosh was mean to ya, us girls can go beat him up.”   
“You and Jack are part of the family now, we’ll take care of ya.” 

The group of women interrupted their soft appellations when Jack entered. As one woman they parted and started to leave, several of them muttering under their breath, though he couldn’t quite understand what they were about. Mary-Beth left as well, a disappearing trail of long red braids as the door closed behind them. The only remaining sound in the room was the regular scratching of Rue’s knife as she seemed to be intent on massaging the skin loose on an unlucky potato. 

He moved toward her and squatted down in front of her, the bucket of potato peels between them. "Rue?" he asked. She flinched but didn't look at him. "Rue, what's wrong? Are you hurt?" 

She shook her head, light brown hair swaying as she bit her lip. Judging from the teeth marks, she’d done that several times this day. 

Jack shoved the bucket away and leaned in closer, looking in Rue’s eyes. At this moment they were glittering, alternating between the brightest amethyst he’d seen and their regular blue color. “Rue, you can tell me if something happened. I’m here for you.” 

This time she did look at him, and her hands started to shake. Teardrops formed rapidly in her eyes, one already running down. “I… I’m… terrible.” 

That did not sound good. Changing from a squat to sitting on his knees in front of her, Jack gently cupped her face as she looked down. His thumb wiped away the one tear that had escaped her. “Tell me, Rue. I’ll make it better.” 

“Y-you can’t.” Those words suddenly broke something deep inside her, because there was a small wail and then tears ran down faster than he could wipe them away. “She’s gone, and nobody can bring her back.” That statement gave way to a louder wail, pained and desperate. “And I wasn’t there!” 

To hell with propriety and keeping a decent distance. As if approaching a shy animal, Jack gently placed his fingertips on Rue’s shoulders, pulling her slightly toward him. He would give her the option to- she clung to him as if she was drowning, breaking out in sobs against his shoulder as she dropped to her knees. He put a hand on her head, letting his fingers twine in her hair, the other hand on her back. “Who?” he asked lowly, gently rocking back and forth. He felt he already knew. 

“My mother,” She sobbed against his shoulder, barely audible. “Two months ago. She… it was the sickness.” 

Jack continued his rocking back and forth, not sure if it was doing any actual good. “It’s not your fault,” he whispered in her ear. 

In response, her fingers tightened. “I should have been there.” 

“You couldn’t, Rue. You couldn’t be. It’s not your fault.” He didn’t tell her not to cry. Far better to let it out, because if she kept it in she would only feel progressively worse. So instead he made soothing noises, stroking her hair and in general, trying to be supportive. If Aku hadn’t sent her after him… if Aku hadn’t taken her people captive… if only he’d been able to defeat Aku all that time ago… 

“You’re trembling,” Rue said, sounding exhausted. One look around the kitchen and the way the sunlight had moved showed they’d been in there for hours. “You must be uncomfortable,” her voice sounded thick. 

“I’m fine,” he reassured her. Now wasn’t the time to wallow in self-pity. “You?” 

A sniffle was his answer, though he counted it better than the sounds he’d heard before it. Hearing Rue cry was a terrible experience. He’d heard her scream and screech, but crying… crying did things to him that felt as painful as she felt. The wet patch on his shoulder felt as an unwanted reminder that Rue was in pain, and he was helpless to do anything. “I’ll fix this, Rue. One day, I’ll fix this. I promise.” 

Rue nodded against his shoulder. “I know you will.” And then she pulled back for the first time in hours, her eyes rimmed with red. But despite how swollen they were, despite how utterly miserable she ought to look, there was something in there he hadn’t expected. A fire flashed. “And I’ll help you. Debts be damned. I’ll do anything that’s necessary.” Then the fire left and tears came again. 

“You need rest first,” Jack murmured, pulling her back in the hug. “Rest and time to heal.” He waited a few moments for her to nod. “And… I will start training you, tomorrow.” Her mother may have died, and neither of them may have been able to intervene, but Jack would be damned if he allowed Rue to remain defenseless. Seeing her cry clawed at something inside him. He feared her death might just kill him completely. 

“Thank you,” Rue whispered. “Thank you, Jack.” 

He nodded, pressing a chaste kiss against her temple. Rue was alive. He intended to keep it that way, or he might as well die trying.


	23. Samurai Sensei

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That title tho
> 
> I am way later than I used to be, and the only excuse I have is that I'm either on a job hunt, or suffering out my last student job days as a secretary i.e. at work. If you know a secretary, tell them they're the glue that's keeping shit together. Because it's 1) true and 2) people do not appreciate them enough. 
> 
> Kaukze is probably suffering from my bouts of non-productiveness as well, but they're too nice to say something. Bless them too.
> 
> For everyone starting school soon again : good luck, you can do it. For all my working readers... I'm in the same hell as you now and I don't like it.
> 
> Next chapter will magically appear on a random Sunday <3 Stay hydrated, eat a decent breakfast and love yourself <3

Jack quietly informed the Scotsman about Rue’s mother after Rue had gone to bed, and the Scotsman spread word throughout the keep and the surrounding village. Jack hoped this meant that people wouldn’t ask Rue too many questions about it; though her sobs had subsided, he’d hardly been able to get her to eat a few spoonfuls of soup. And he knew, on a level that went beyond his bones, that he would have done pretty much anything to make her feel better. But for that evening she’d been better off alone, so he had walked around and found odd jobs to keep himself occupied.

The following morning Rue came to the dining table, her hair immaculately brushed, though her eyes still bore the telltale marks of someone who had been crying her heart out. She sat next to Jack and took an apple from the fruit bowl. If she noticed people tip-toeing around her, she didn’t comment on it. But there was a harshness to her movements, an abruptness that had never been there before. The Scotsman, after an awkward five minutes, finally pulled her in a bear hug while crying, which was the cue for several others to offer their condolences as well.

By the time they’d left the keep, noon had passed. All of the women had insisted on giving Rue jam and casseroles, even though there was no need for a single person to receive fifteen different ones, especially considering they were staying in the village for days to come. The younger women also dropped by, giving Rue flowers and pressing kisses on her cheek and forehead. Rue bore it with surprising stoicism. As they walked to the edge of the nearby forest, Jack finally ventured a comment on it. “You’ve been… keeping it together today.”

The corner of her mouth pulled, and Jack suddenly was allowed to see through the thin veneer that had kept her emotions hidden. “Can’t really let anyone see me crying.” When she caught his look, she corrected herself quickly. “I mean, someone that’s not you. I can’t let other people see me cry. I don’t mind when you see me do it. Not that much. I want to be honest with you.”

Strange, how that confession made his heart to a little hop inside his chest. Instead he focused on the two long, straight wooden quarterstaves, untying them from his back. He’d spent a few hours in the armory this morning, hoping to find something that would give Rue an opportunity to train, without him having to scrape the remaining pieces from the ground once they were done. Guns had been ruled out quickly - Rue’s aim was questionable on good days - and swords had followed the same way - giving a klutz a sharp object was like walking out into a thunderstorm clad in armor. You might walk out unscathed, but who was really willing to risk that?

Rue eyed the staves from a distance. “So… you’re going to teach me how to fight with a stick?”

“Quarterstaff,” he corrected with a smile. “It’s a fine weapon, in the hands of a master.”

“Well that makes one of us,” Rue said, before squeaking as Jack tossed her one of the staves in a gentle loop. She barely managed to grab it with both hands, but at least it didn’t clatter to the ground. He appreciated Rue, he knew she was capable… but he was also prepared for a long road of suffering ahead. “How long did it take you to train for master status?”

“I think it would be best to not compare your journey to mine. I was rushed along the road, and it would be nice if you could take your time.” Perhaps it would limit the amount of bruises as well.

She nodded, and for the moment it seemed that she’d forgotten about her pain. “Okay, no comparing. What about padding? Or any kind of protection really.”

“We won’t be needing that today. We’ll start slow, building up your strength and learning a few stances, perhaps one swing if you’re up for it.” Truth be told, Jack had been in the position of apprentice quite a few times, but never in that of a teacher. Now he appreciated how his instructors must have felt; fearful that inadequate teaching would mean the end of his pupil. But he didn’t need Rue to achieve mastery. All she needed to learn was just enough to stay alive, to get a fighting chance. Truth be told, he still intended to keep danger away from her when possible.

Standing next to her, Jack showed her how to hold the quarterstaff so that she could maintain maximum reach without sacrificing defense. The staff she was using now was too big, something which had been unavoidable. They were in a village where people just were larger than Rue was, and the weapons reflected that. He’d already requested a new staff be made for her, but things like that took time, especially in a busy period like this.

“Can’t I hold it like this? Evens out the weight,” she commented, holding the staff in front of her, her hands about a hand and a half of space away from each end.

“If your enemy strikes downward, you’ll be safe,” Jack demonstrated, switching in front of her and tapping his own quarterstaff lightly against the center of hers. “But if they strike from the side, you’ll be hard-pressed to react timely, and you increase the odds of losing a finger. But it’s a useful position in some cases. Moving your hands across the quarterstaff is called ‘slipping’, and it can increase or decrease your range as wished. It can also lead your opponent to grow confused about those things.”

He gave a quick demonstration, two parries followed by a strike where he slipped his hands in such a way he increased his range. Rue had a look on her face that betrayed she was impressed, but there was something else there as well. A calculating look, as if she intended to memorize not only his movements but every breath he took while doing it. “Could you do that again?” she asked. When he complied, she nodded. “I think I understand now. A bit, at least.”

“You’ll have to build up some muscle first.” He made a pained face, remembering his own starting steps on his training. “You’ll be sore, but we’re going to have to work you through that. It’s going to be rough for a while.”

Jack showed her how to hold the quarterstaff again, and then instructed her to practice positions in sets of twenty. It didn’t take long for Rue to become tired with the unfamiliar weight, or the need to hold her arms above waist level at all times. But despite the fatigue, she kept going, with a look on her face that suggested the effort was taking her mind off unpleasant events. After the fifth set, Jack interrupted Rue. “You’d be able to move faster if you move your hands more to the side.”  
He tried to show her what he meant, but the movement didn’t translate into mimicry well. Eventually he scraped his throat, not sure if it would be wise to get closer to Rue at this point. Still, he offered. “May I?” he asked, gesturing toward her.

Rue nodded, planting one of the ends of the staff on the ground with a weary sigh. Jack stepped behind her, and placed his hands next to hers. He didn’t have to stand against her now, but there was still the possibility of touching, the implied closeness. “Move your hands more like this,” he suggested, spreading out his hands across the woods. Spreading out his arms gave him some distance from Rue.  
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to embrace her. He just… wasn’t sure it would be invited at this time. And considering all factors surrounding them, he wasn’t sure it would ever be a good idea.  
“And now you slide one foot forward as you strike, like this,” he continued his demonstration, nudging Rue’s foot forward with his own. She followed the motion haltingly, unsure how to do it but still eager to follow his lead. “Now, come back into the original position.”

For a moment her balance faltered. Jack quickly stopped her tumble, one hand releasing the staff and wrapping around her elbow instead. Rue’s other hand, which had increased its grip in an attempt to keep balance, now followed Jack’s lead a bit too far. There was a sudden dull pain against the side of his head. He overbalanced, and Rue, who was questionable on her best days, didn’t manage to offer a counterweight.

They tumbled to the ground on their sides. The quarterstaff fell behind Jack, Rue having held onto it awkwardly. Panicked she turned around to face him. Jack let out a groan.

“Oh gods, Jack! I didn’t mean to- my hand slipped and- are you okay?”

If the dull throbbing pain on the side of his head was anything to go by, he would be sporting a fairly sized bump the coming day. Rue’s eyes were panicked, prompting him to speak. “I am fine.”  
When his sparring partner didn’t seem convinced, he tried to add some humor in the situation. “Not many of my opponents ever managed to get in a hit that clean.”

The chuckle turned into half a sob for some reason, but there was a sparkle in her eyes, suggesting that his remark had alleviated her worries. “If you can try being funny, you’re not too badly hurt. But maybe me learning how to fight isn’t such a good plan.”

“Nonsense. It’s high past time you learn, and it’s only logical I be the one to teach you.” Because he was best suited to instruct her. Because in this hectic village life, he had found he needed some time alone with his traveling companion. And because he needed to know she would be safe.

“Is it?” Rue asked with a smile, leaning against the earth more easily. The sunlight dappled over the ground, filtered through rustling leaves. The light was a bright, warm orange falling down in warm splotches on dark green grass and light brown earth. “How do you figure that?”

“I-” He wanted to say something, but all of his true reasons were either boastful or selfish. Admitting that he needed her safety was too close to admitting other things. “I believe you are still most comfortable with me.”

There was a flicker of emotion in Rue’s eyes, a silent flash of amethyst that seemed to confirm unspoken words. With an air of confidentiality she leaned her head closer to his. “You’re right, of course. I wouldn’t want to learn this from any other person in the universe.” Her hand reached out and her fingers carefully rested near the edge of the forming bump. “We should get you something cool to put on that bump.”

Something in the air had shifted as her fingers gently trailed near the sore spot, careful not to put pressure on the fresh injury. Her hand trailed slightly down, until the palm of her hand rested on his cheeks, fingers splayed across his cheekbones and below his earlobe. Jack swallowed, once. He reminded himself that Rue was too vulnerable emotionally to approach. Thus he ignored the pounding of his heart, and in a tone of voice that was gentleness itself he spoke softly. “Shall we go then?”

Rue withdrew her hand, the tips of her fingers lingering on his cheek for the fraction of a second. “Yes… I believe we should.”

|Rue|

Rue played with the seam of her dress, staring at the lone figure sitting on a bench at the head of the large hall. The shaman ate calmly, picking at this food, seldom sparing his rowdy kinsmen a glance. Next to Rue, Jack sat talking and laughing amicably with a group of young men. Her left leg was pressed against his underneath the long table, and she found courage in the warmth radiating from his body.  
She shouldn’t be silly about this. It was only one man, who she would ask for instructions on how to be a shaman. Unlike her training with Jack, she highly doubted she’d injure someone seriously training as a shaman. As the witch Hazelina had told her, being a shaman meant using words. Rue was good at using words.

And according to that water mirror, the first miracle she’d ever witnessed with Jack, she had a natural propensity toward being a shaman. It shouldn’t, wouldn’t be hard.

“I’ll be back in a few minutes,” she told Jack, before standing up. As she walked, she analyzed her reasons for seeking out the shaman. It wasn’t that she was really all that interested in learning how to be one. But it had been the reason for being allowed near Jack in the first place, and though now all she wanted was to learn about the truth regarding her blood debt, it was still an avenue of knowledge. And she desperately needed something that would allow her to ignore the pain and guilt she felt regarding the passing of her mother.

Rue approached the shaman’s spot from the side, instead of from the front. Standing in front of the bench would have made her look too much like someone pleading for a favor, instead of someone who merely wanted to learn. With her hands folded behind her back - again to avoid looking like a supplicant - she magicked what she hoped was a smile on her face and cleared her throat. “Excuse me, sir?”

Eyes, set deep in the skull and filled with suspicion, landed on her. Something strange coiled tight in Rue’s stomach, a sense of danger and a sort of power. A power she hadn’t encountered much before, but somehow it felt like something familiar. Like a scrap from a once-favorite sweater. The shaman grunted at her.

“I… wanted to ask if you might take on an apprentice,” Rue forced the words out, not feeling too keen on following this man around for lessons. But it was a goal, and for that she’d have to put up with some unpleasantness.

A silence passed between the two of them, dark eyes appraising her, turning her inside out and back again. The shaman turned his head, spat out a piece of gristle and then chuckled. It was a dark, mocking chuckle, and Rue could feel the refusal in every vibration through the air.

“I want to learn. You have the skills. Why not?” she demanded to know.

This time the man didn’t bother to look at her. Instead he turned back to his plate, picking a new morsel to devour. “Don’t teach women,” he grunted, his accent thick and heavy.

She felt her jaw go slack in indignation. “You don’t… you don’t teach WOMEN?”

“I don’t,” he concurred, and ignored her again.

“How dare you? Because I’m a woman, I would be unable to learn? Is that what you’re suggesting?” Rue demanded to know, before someone tugged at her elbow. Looking back she saw McIntosh, soot-covered and wearing an apologetic grimace.

“It’s not worth it to argue with him, it’ll only get ye in trouble,” he muttered, dragging her back.

“He can’t refuse me because of my gender,” Rue insisted, turning back to face down the shaman. 

“He can, and ye can’t argue with him. You don’t have the status to argue with the shaman.”

Rue opened her mouth to argue, but realized McIntosh had a point. Instead she frowned and heaved a deep sigh. “That might be, but I can learn how to be a shaman too. So shouldn’t he at least give me a chance? What gave him the authority to boss other people around anyway?”

“Well, he went to the dark forest and climbed the towe- errrr.” McIntosh faltered when he noticed the look in Rue’s eyes. “Eeeerrr… I mean, that’s just how it is. Can’t argue with how things are around here, lass. Ye should just focus on training with tah samurai and keep it at that.”

A dark forest and a tower? That sounded like something Rue could do. It didn’t exactly sound worse than anything else she’d been up to. As long as there weren’t any horses or dogs involved, at least. “Thanks, McIntosh. I’m going to finish dinner and head to bed.”

“If a woman were about to do something stupid, it’s a good idea if she tells people where she’s goin’. So that, when things happen, her friends can come help out, as it were.”

“Yeah… hypothetically speaking, that might be a good idea.” And it was like she’d be heading out this evening. No, first she’d work up her strength a few days more. Give her emotions time to settle. And then, when she felt certain enough, she’d casually mention to Jack what she intended to do. He’d more than likely offer to help her, and she’d gladly take him up on the offer.

At least, if she didn’t hit him with a staff too often. A concussion probably would put a pause on the heroics.

She plopped down next to him on the bench and took an apple. Jack looked at her sideways. “You seem very cheery for someone who was rejected by the shaman.”

Of course he would’ve picked up on that. Rue grinned. “Don’t worry. I have a plan.”


End file.
